Believe in Love Again
by Reba-Brockfan
Summary: Reba finds herself in a Vegas hotel room and can't remember what happened the night before. When she finds out that she got married, she goes over in her mind how she ended up there.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA tv show.

Reba Hart woke up with a pounding headache. She was wearing nothing and was covered by a satin sheet. She put a hand to her forehead. "Where am I? How did I get here?" She scanned the room quickly and found no one in the room with her, then she heard the sound of pulsating water coming from the bathroom shower. She panicked and pulled the sheet around her. Whoever was with her from last night was in the shower so she had time to try to find out what happened, then she noticed the ring on her left hand. Her hand flew up to her mouth in a gasp. She sprinted over to the dresser to find something that would make sense. What she found was a marriage license. She looked out the window of the hotel room. Yep, she was still in Las Vegas. She hoped that what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Six months ago, she was just helping out a friend. Okay, it's hard to categorize Brock as just a friend. Brock and Barbra Jean got separated. Brock begged Reba to let him stay at her house temporarily while the two worked things out. When it looked like the separation wasn't so temporary, Brock suggested that he stay and help Reba out with the bills. He encouraged her to go back to college and finish her degree so she could become a teacher just like she always wanted to. The family jumped behind that idea. Van and Cheyenne offered to rent out their house and move back in to help Reba out to make things easier while she went back to school. Brock offered to remodel the basement into an apartment for Van, Cheyenne, and their two kids. He also offered to make the attic into a bedroom for Kyra so she'd have more privacy. Brock was staying in Van and Cheyenne's old bedroom. Reba was just getting out of a bad relationship with Jack Morgan. He'd tricked her into believing that his marriage to Cheryl was over. When she found out, she was furious and broke things off with him. Six months after the breakup, he wouldn't leave her alone.

Lori Ann suggested setting her up with a blind date so Jack could see that Reba was dating again and off limits to him. Reba agreed. She just wasn't expecting to be shocked when her date came to meet her. Reba opened her front door to find a man in a suit, holding a bouquet of red roses. Her hand flew up to her mouth and she felt the room start to spin. Reba fainted to the floor. Her eyes opened to find Brock, Lori Ann, Cheyenne, and Van around her. "Brock, I just had the strangest dream," Reba murmured. Reba's eyes opened wider when she saw the person standing right behind them. "Hello, darlin" he said softly. "I can't deal with this right now. I feel so tricked right now," Reba responded. "Barbra Jean, I need your help right now!" Barbra Jean came out from where she was hiding in the kitchen. "I'm here, Reba," Barbra Jean yelled. "Barbra Jean, I thought that you weren't coming over today," Brock said. "I had to find out what Lori Ann was hiding so I hid in the kitchen," Barbra Jean answered. "I have high blood pressure, you morons. I need help getting upstairs. You two can fight later in the privacy of your own home. My home is a battle-free zone, remember? Lori Ann, I will talk to you about this later. Mike, I can't believe this! You had your chance. You broke up with me on our wedding day. I'm not talking to you!" Reba shouted. Barbra Jean and Brock lifted Reba up and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

Mike followed. "I came here to talk to you and I'm going to. For Terry's sake, can we please just talk for a minute?" Mike said firmly. "Low blow, Holloway! Where was this attitude when we saw each other last? I stood right in front of you, giving you the right signals and you didn't say anything," Reba responded. "You were with Brock. I wasn't sure if things were really over between you two," Mike explained. "Brock has been married to the blonde for the last six years, you moron! Meet Brock's wife, Barbra Jean Hart," she fired back. "Okay, Miss McKinney, can we have a more private conversation?" he asked. Lori Ann popped her head in. "I've got the video. Is she ready to see it?" Lori Ann asked. Brock was still standing there. He wasn't going anywhere unless Reba asked him to. "What's on the tape?" Reba asked. "Reba, this is your life!" Lori Ann responded. "No, it's not. Reba, it's the story of us. Lori Ann made it for us," Mike interjected. "Praise, Jesus! Reba's got a man!" Barbra Jean exclaimed.


	2. Chapter 2 Just the beginning

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show.

Reba paused for a minute, panicked at the thought of having her past with Mike revealed to Brock. "Brock and I are just friends. This shouldn't do anything to hurt that. He should know that he was lucky that he ended up with me in the first place. I wasn't supposed to end up with Brock in the first place and he is supposed to work things out with Barbra Jean right now. He'll be mad for a little while because I've kept this a secret for so long, but Brock's got his secrets too. He cheated on me, on our almost twenty year marriage, with another woman. This should create some distance between us. He hasn't been trying to work things out with Barbra Jean like he should," Reba thought before answering.

"What's on the tape exactly?" she asked. "It has almost everything that we went through until we said our last goodbye over twenty years ago," Mike answered. "In that case, I'm going to need a minute alone with Brock before we play the video," Reba countered. Everyone left the room. There was a heavy silence that filled the room with Reba and Brock. "Brock, I've got to be honest with you. I wish that I had more time to explain this to you. When we started seeing each other, I told you that I was still in love with someone else. You assumed that it was Terry, but it was Mike. I loved him for a very long time. None of this should matter because we are not together anymore, but I thought that I owed you an explanation before seeing this. I just want you to know that from the day that we got married, there was never anyone else that I wanted to be with except you. I was faithful and I loved you, but I never quite got over my feelings for Mike. He's here now and that means that I've got a chance to sort through my feelings. I've done some things in my past that will probably shock you. I need to know that our friendship is going to survive seeing this thing," Reba explained.

"Reba, honey, I am not going to let this change things between us. You would be surprised how much I actually know about you. I am the one who needs to know that things aren't going to change," Brock replied. "Brock, I just don't want you to get mad at me and storm off. I want us to talk about this after watching the video. I want us to stay friends. I like having you around. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to upset the kids. If we're fighting, then I will lose my best friend. I don't want to upset the kids either," Reba said. "Reba, you said before that we were still a family. People disagree all the time. You and I disagree plenty of times. I haven't walked away then and I'm not going to walk away now. We live in the same house. We share meals together with the kids. That is not going to change unless you want it to," Brock gently responded.

Reba nodded for Brock to open the door. "Let's get this over with," Reba declared. "You say that with such warmth," Mike responded sarcastically. "You might be ripping my life apart here. I'm not exactly thrilled about that," Reba reacted. "We could watch it alone," Mike offered. "No, I'm trying to be honest here. I'm not going to be the one with anything to hide," Reba explained. Reba lifted her arm and gestured for Lori Ann to start the video.

The video began with Reba saying goodbye to Mike when his family moved from Oklahoma to Texas. Reba was 10. Mike was 12. Reba's young voice was heard saying, "I feel like I'm losing my best friend. You're going to move away and forget all about me." "I'll be back, Reba. This is just goodbye for now. I'll never forget about you. I promise," Young Mike replied. Young Reba hugged him and then punched him in the shoulder. Young Reba ran off toward the barn, trying not to have Mike see her cry. The next scene was of Reba at age 14 and Mike age 16. She ran towards him. "Hi, stranger," she greeted. Her smile faded. She punched him in the shoulder. "That's for not writing to me for three years. Did you forget how to write in Texas?" she snapped. "I've been busy. I'm playing football and that takes up all my time. I never forgot about you," he responded. "I bet you've been busy. I bet you have a lot of girlfriends back in Texas, Mr. Football," she remarked. "Some, but my best friend, Brock usually gets all the girls," he replied. Reba ran off, trying not to have Mike see her cry. Mike ran off after her. The camera is shaking as Lori Ann runs after the pair. "Boy, am I glad I didn't miss this!" Lori Ann commented excitedly.

Mike caught up to Reba, grabbing her arm. She turned to face him slowly. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "I'm supposed to be your best friend. Now you have a new life with a new best friend and girls are probably chasing after you all the time. You forgot about me," she responded. "You've got it all wrong. I didn't forget about you. I begged my family to go on vacation here so I could see you. I had to see you again," he explained. "That's nice, but you're going to leave here and go back to Texas soon," she commented. Mike leaned in towards Reba and kissed her. Reba's eyes closed as she leaned in for the kiss. "This will be the part of your trip that you won't tell Brick about," she whispered. Mike laughed. "There's no one like you, Reba," he remarked. Then the scene ended. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

_Lori Ann's Narration-_

_Reba thought that would be the start of something special. Mike went back to Texas and he did start writing letters to her again. The letters were full of news of his life in Texas and his adventures with his friend, Brock. When Reba turned 16, Mike and his family moved back to Oklahoma. Mike was a senior at our high school. Reba was a sophomore. The kiss was never mentioned again. Reba's hopes of being with Mike were dashed when he started dating another sophomore, Kim. Kim was Reba's rival. She cozied up to Mike from the day that he moved back to town. Reba finally came up with a plan. Mike's parents were going out of town. Mike's friend, Brock would be in town. The guys were throwing a party at the Holloway House. Reba planned to get Mike's attention. She hoped that she'd finally get his attention._

A scene came on. A party was in full swing at Mike's house. Reba was dressed in a low cut coral sweater and a blue jean miniskirt. She and Lori Ann walked up to the bar to get a drink. "Hello, ladies. Can I get you a drink?" the bartender offered. "Absolutely," Lori Ann replied. "Are you friends of Mike's or are you one of his fans?" he commented with a smirk and with a Texas drawl in his voice. "We've known Mike and Terry all our lives. Will you excuse us for a second?" Reba responded. Lori Ann smiled at the blonde hair bartender. Lori Ann and Reba walked over to the corner hurriedly in hushed whispers. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

_Lori Ann's Narration-_

_My plan was simple. The bartender was one of Mike's friends from Texas. All Reba had to do was flirt and dance with this guy to get Mike's attention. I taught her the basics of flirting to make it look real. She was really nervous. She had a beer and a shot of vodka. I had to ask the guy if he wanted to dance with Reba. He got Terry to tend the bar and quickly ran up to dance with her. It's amazing. All these years and Reba never remembered that this was the first time she met Brock._

"Hi. I got Terry to tend the bar. I was hoping that I'd get to dance with you tonight. What's your name?" he asked. "My name is Reba McKinney. I know that you're Mike's buddy from Texas. I need you to do me a favor," she responded. "What do you need?" he asked. "Kim is just going out with Mike out of spite. We basically hate each other. Mike fell right into her trap and I lose my chance with him. I really want him to notice me. I've waited two years for this. I need to get his attention. I think that if he sees me with you, then he'll get jealous. All you have to do is do whatever you usually do when you put the moves on a girl at a party," she explained. "Mike will kill me!" he fired back. Reba ran her fingers up and down his arm. "Come on, please help me. You were already flirting with me. Just keep doing that," she begged. Brock pulled her onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms tight around Reba to slow dance. Reba smiled. Mike got up on stage to sing a song with the band. Brock kept flirting with her. Reba smiled and laughed. They had another drink, and then Brock pulled Reba into a kiss. The kiss was longer than Reba had expected. Just after the kiss ended, Mike tapped on Reba's shoulder. "Darlin', are you ready to get up on stage and sing with me?" Mike asked. Reba replied, "Sure, I'll be there in a second." Reba mouthed, "Thank you" silently to Brock. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

_Lori Ann's Narration-_

_Reba got to sing on stage with him. She got his attention. She beamed in the spotlight with him. They sang a duet and got wild applause. They danced. Reba pulled him away from the party to talk with him privately. All I know is that she made the mistake of telling him she loved him when they were alone together. He told her that she was just too young for him. His buddy, Brock had warned him about dating someone so young and innocent. Everyone knew that Kim was far from innocent. Reba ran back to the party, slapped Brock in the face, and left the party._


	3. Window into the Past

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show.

I know that I've been gone for awhile, but I've been busy. I love to write and this story is important to me. It's finally back!

The next scene came on. It was the night of Reba's senior prom. The only date that she could find was Terry. Reba wore a green, sleeveless full length satin dress with a v-neck and straps that wrapped around the neck. There was a round pin with many small pearls and a small blue cubic zirconium center attached at the bodice. It revealed some minor cleavage. Reba felt so excited and scared to be wearing something so unlike her. It resembled something that Lori Ann would be comfortable wearing. Mike was there, singing in the band. She felt his eyes on him from the moment that she arrived. He cut in on Reba's slow dance with Terry. Reba smiled and moved into his arms. "You look beautiful. I was wondering if you would like to get up on stage and sing with me and the band," Mike said. Reba nodded. When the dance ended, Mike took Reba's hand in his and led her up to the stage. She sang "Talking in Your Sleep" and then Mike accompanied her in a duet of "You and I". The crowd cheered and Reba took her bow. "I could do this for the rest of my life!" she exclaimed. "I was thinking the same thing." Mike countered. Mike pulled Reba off the stage to talk with her alone. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Up to this point, Mike and Reba had gone back to being just friends. This was the night when Mike seemed ready to move past being just friends. Reba's parents were out of town. They trusted Reba with Terry. Terry insisted on taking Reba home and told Mike to take Kim home. Mike showed up at Reba's house later and Terry wouldn't let him in. He told Mike to pick just one girl to be with. He didn't deserve Reba unless he was ready to stop seeing other girls. Terry told Mike that he was in love with Reba himself and begged Mike to leave Reba alone. Mike left in defeat. Reba couldn't figure out why Mike didn't come over that night like he said that he would. Terry never told her that he showed up. Mike went to a party, got drunk, and woke up the next morning with Kim. Reba didn't let her emotions show. She just went right back to being friends with Mike. She also let Mike know that she would never be interested in Terry. Mike finally was ready to date Reba. He waited until the night of her 18th birthday.

Reba's parents rented out a hall for their only daughter's 18th birthday. Everyone was there-Reba, Mike, Terry, Brock, Lori Ann, Reba's parents, Parker Reynolds, Reba's other friends, Reba's parents and their friends; even Kim was there. Kim arrived with Brock on her arm. Mike was singing with his band on stage. He called Reba up on stage to sing with him. They sang the song, Dream Lover as a duet. Reba also sang Right Back Where We Started From with Mike and the band. As the song was ending, Mike moved from where he was behind Reba with the band providing her with instrumentals. He moved right beside her. "Can I have the next dance?" he asked as she moved to leave the stage. Another singer from the band took over vocals into the next song. Mike took Reba in his arms. "You better be careful. Kim's going to be really mad," Reba commented.

"We broke up. She's over there with Brock. I'm right where I want to be," Mike responded. He moved in to kiss Reba. Reba met his lips gently with her eyes closed. Her eyes flew open and she pulled away. "Nice move, Holloway! I won't let you use me to make Kim jealous," Reba exclaimed. She pulled away from Mike's embrace and ran out of the party. Mike ran after her. The party was still in full swing. No one noticed Mike chasing after Reba, except for Terry, Brock, and Kim. Reba ran to her car. She struggled to get the car door open.

"You left the keys locked inside your car again, honey." Reba looked back to see Mike standing in front of the car. "I'm not letting you leave like this," Mike stated firmly. Reba's eyes were filled with tears. "Give me the spare key so I can leave now or you can keep standing there so I can run you over once I get in this car!" Reba hissed at him. "Not until you listen to me!" he shouted back. "What do you want?" she asked. "I wanted to tell you that I love you," he said. "What?" Reba responded in disbelief. "I love you. You're the one that I want to be with. Reba Nell McKinney, will you marry me?" he spoke in a softer tone. He closed the space between them and got down on one knee. Reba nodded. "Yes! I love you, too. Get in the car." Reba replied.

**Please feel free to leave a review and let me know how you like the story so far. **


	4. Who is the best man?

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show.

I know that I've been gone for awhile, but I've been busy studying. My homework this semester is project-based and takes awhile. I want to let you readers know that this story is important to me. Okay, it's back again!

The next scene came on. A party was in full swing. The camera zooms through the busy room to another room. Reba was talking to Lori Ann, who was holding the camera. "So tell everyone the story of how you are running off to marry Mike," Lori Ann teased.

"After Mike proposed, we went to my house. We went up to my bedroom. We were about to have ring-a-ding when my parents showed up followed by Brock and Terry. Mike told my dad that he wanted to marry me. My dad tried to throw him out of the house. I packed up a suitcase and followed him outside. He was so romantic. He asked me to marry him right away in Las Vegas. I've been saving for my wedding in my savings for so long. I convinced him that we should get ready and do it right so we're getting married in a few days in Vegas with our friends to share it with. I'm still mad that Mike asked Brock to be the best man, but at least I'll have you as my maid of honor. We've been living in his apartment over his uncle's bar. We've already started our life together and tonight is our engagement party," Reba explained.

"You haven't started your life together in the way that counts," Lori Ann responded.

"We're sleeping together every night. We're just not having ring-a-ding. He wants us to wait until we're married so it can be special for us. We're going to live happily ever after and have lots of babies. I hope that Brock doesn't ruin this for us," Reba interjected.

"He's got a crush on you, you know. Terry thinks that he wants you for himself," Lori Ann revealed.

"No!" Reba's hand flew up to her mouth. "This means war. I'm done being nice to him. He is not going to try to tear up my dreams and get away with it!" Reba fumed. Reba's face filled with scorn. "I'm going to take care of this. I'm going to mess with him so bad that he never wants anything to do with me again. I'm going to film him a message that you will play for him later and then I'm going to go out there and mess with his head so bad. I want you to play this message back for him just before the wedding. He'll be neutralized for sure."

"What are you going to do?" Lori Ann explained.

"I'm going to flirt with him and then shut him down. I need to let him know that there's nothing he can do to separate me from Mike ever. The message needs to be delivered so cruelly that there is no way that he will ever want me again," Reba explained.

"It'll be fun. He'll so cute. For a minute, you could pretend that there is no Mike and really get into it. I'd do him,"

"Lori Ann, you're the most oversexed girl on the planet. Why are you even friends with a virgin like me?"

"Because we've been friends since first grade and I know that you wouldn't be a virgin if you were able to seduce Mike by now. This is not going to be so hard for you. Don't you think that Brock is kind of sexy?"

"I'll admit he's great to look at, but it's over for me the minute that he opens his mouth. Any woman would be turned off by then, but you can have him. You should date him. Be my guest. We're going to be in Vegas. You should seduce him into bed after the wedding. He'll forget all about me once he's with you; besides you haven't had sex in awhile. What's it been three months?"

"One month. I had sex on prom night."

"No! With who?"

"Terry Holloway."

"You had sex with my prom date?"

"Reba, he was destroyed. He got drunk after he dropped you off. He was talking about how you would never love him the way that you love Mike. He was so sad. I gave that boy a reason to live."

"I would be mad if you weren't right. I rejected Terry that night because I was planning to meet Mike after Terry left. It's too bad that Mike never showed up."

"You'll finally get that man into bed in a few days."

"We have to make a deal right now. You and I will never sleep with the same guys, okay?"

"You plan to spend the rest of your life with Mike anyway. I'd never sleep with Mike."

"And I'd never sleep with Terry. Now promise me- I mean it!"

"I don't get the point of this, but okay. I promise. I'll never sleep with any guys that you sleep with first."

"And I'll never sleep with any guy that you sleep with first. We are never going to let any guys make us crazy or get in the way of our friendship."

"Now do you still want to pull this little stunt on Brock?"

"Of course. I just have to get ready to deliver this message to the camera."

Reba's face changes from smiling to sternness.

"I'm ready. Brock, you have to know that you will never get me to like you. In a million years, you will never win my heart. My heart belongs to someone else and you have to accept it. You will never get me to want you. I hate you! You are a womanizing casanova. I'm never going to want someone like you. I love Mike Holloway. I love him with all of my heart and soul. I'll love him forever and he loves me. Even if Mike and I were separated for any reason, we're still going to love each other. I will love him for a thousand years and then a thousand more. You need to accept that and move on. I am going to marry Mike Holloway. You are his best friend. It would be wrong for you to continue to want to pursue his wife. I'm going to be his wife. In my heart, I already am. I taught you a lesson for your own good. Now deal with it! I'm done, Lori Ann. Let's get this thing over with."

"What are you going to do?"

"Do guys usually want a woman after they've been kicked in the groin?"

"No. Are you really going to do that?"

"Yep! I'm going to flirt with him and then lead him in here. When he tries something, I'm going to knee him in the groin."

"I've got to see this." Lori Ann responded as she followed Reba from a distance with the video camera as she entered the party again. Mike left the apartment to go get some more alcohol for the party. Reba slowly walked toward Brock, who was drinking shots off the makeshift bar. She leaned in to grab a shot. Her finger trailed along the rim of his glass. She lifted her finger up to her lips to suck the alcohol off. Brock stood there just watching her. He spoke and she laughed. She put her hand on his chest when she was laughing. She drank a shot and then drank another. He drank another shot and then pulled her to him in a slow dance. A few minutes later, Reba gave Lori Ann a signal and led Brock into the bedroom. Lori Ann followed quickly with the video camera, continuing to stay at a distance to view the interaction. Brock kissed Reba and they fell to the floor together. After a couple of minutes, Reba punched Brock in the gut and then kneed him in the groin. Brock groaned in agony.

"I think that I'm going to be sick!" Brock moaned. Reba helped him up and into the adjoining bathroom. He emptied the contents of his stomach and most of the alcohol that he consumed into the toilet. Reba went and got a cold washcloth to hold to his head.

"Why did you do that do me, honey?" Brock asked softly.

"Don't call me that. I did that to teach you a lesson," Reba answered.

Lori Ann walked up to the bathroom. "You shouldn't try to steal your best friend's girl. We figured that you should find that out the hard way." Lori Ann commented.

"I love Mike. You should know that. You shouldn't have kissed me like that."

"I believe that you kissed me back."

"No, I didn't. Please don't try to ruin this for me. Mike and I are going to get married. It's your job to stand there and smile at the wedding. Please?" Reba begged. Her eyes filled up with tears.

"Don't cry, honey. I promise not to do anything else to make you cry. Okay?" Brock responded.

Mike appeared in the doorway. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Brock got sick and Reba tried to help him. He said something insensitive to her and now she's crying," Lori Ann answered.

"What's wrong with you, Brock? You've got to be nicer to Reba. She's a good woman," Mike commented.

"I know. She's a heck of a woman," Brock replied.

**Please feel free to leave a review and let me know how you like the story so far. **


	5. Posing for the camera

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show.

In the next scene, Reba is lying on the bed, wearing a blue and white football jersey with the number 24 on it. Lori Ann's voice could be heard from behind the video camera as she was filming. "I'm filming this so I can't be the one taking the pictures."

"Who's going to take the pictures? This is important. This is one of my wedding presents to Mike," Reba pointed out.

"I called Brock up here to do it," Lori Ann responded teasingly.

"You didn't! You called Brock up here to take pictures of me wearing nothing Mike's high school football jersey and my panties?"

"Yep!" Lori Ann said, laughing.

"You are so bad! Are you sure that there isn't someone else to do this?"

"I could call Terry. Would that be better?"

"No! That would be so wrong! I definitely don't want him to see me half-naked. He still thinks that he's in love with me and I'm marrying his brother. Brock can do it. I just don't want to give him any ideas."

"Leave that to me. I have plans for him after the wedding."

"I knew it! You like him."

"He's a man. He's breathing. He's sexy. And after the wedding, he'll be the most sexually frustrated man on the planet."

"Sexually frustrated?"

"That boy wants you so bad and you're all laid out for him on the bed like a Playboy Playmate. After tomorrow night, you'll be off limits. He's got it bad for you."

"No, he doesn't. Having him take the pictures was your idea."

"Yes, he does. I've got eyes and video proof. He would've taken you right there on the floor the other night if you had let him. That's why I think that this is so funny."

"You would. Let's get this over with."

Brock came into the room and Lori Ann explained about the pictures. He stood there staring at Reba.

"Stop staring at me, you moron! Just take the pictures. The film has to be developed tonight so I can give them to Mike tomorrow."

"I'll take them myself right after we're done, honey. I promise," Brock responded.

"Don't call me that. I'm not okay with you calling me honey, but I guess it would be okay if you help me out with the pictures. Just burn the negatives when you're done," Reba instructed.

"It will be my pleasure, honey. Sorry, Reba." Brock said gently.

"I bet it'll be your pleasure," Lori Ann remarked.

"Lori Ann! Brock, just take the pictures, please. I feel very uncomfortable right now like this."

"Don't worry about it. I can do this. I've done this before and I can be very professional about it. Just relax and think about Mike, okay? You look beautiful," Brock remarked tenderly.

Brock called out some instructions to Reba for different poses in the pictures. The tension in the room subsided.

"So, what are you girls going to be up to tonight?"

"Just a little partying. We've got fake ids. We're gonna go out and have some fun."

"Mike got us some of those, too. We're gonna to have a blast at the bachelor party!"

"She doesn't want to know any of the details. They have an agreement. It's a freebie night."

"What's a freebie night?"

"We're young and entering into a lifetime commitment tomorrow. I am trying to be an understanding woman. I told Mike that he could have one last night out with the guys. No questions asked. Whatever he does is none of my business. I know that you're taking him to a strip club. I don't want to know the rest," Reba explained as she got off the bed.

"You're kidding, right?"

Reba crossed the room and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Believe me, she's not. She's letting him sow wild oats for the last time or something like that."

"That's interesting. Why would you want to let him do that?"

"Because I understand how men are. I know the recipe for a successful marriage. There are rules."

"Rules? Are you kidding?"

"She's not. She's got a list."

"You are a very strange woman. You know that?"

"Do you hear Mike complaining?"

Brock started laughing. Reba smiled.

"I'm worth it, you know. We're going to be together for the next sixty or seventy years or so."

"You've got a lifetime sentence planned for the poor guy who plans to marry you."

Reba smacked him upside the head. "Hey, I'm going to make him very happy. Marriage is not a jail sentence. It can be the most wonderful way to spend the rest of your life in the arms of the person that you love."

"I guess so if you plan to dress like that for him all the time," Brock teased.

Reba looked down at the jersey and blushed.

"I forgot that I was dressed like this. I've got to get ready. Mike is going to be here soon. The pictures are supposed to be a surprise."

Reba ran out of the room into the bathroom.

"Why'd she disappear so fast? What's up? We're supposed to be leaving for the bachelor party in an hour."

"That's all the time that she needs. Believe me."

"What do you girls have planned now?"

"Reba knows better than to send Mike out for a freebie night without reminding him of what he's got waiting for him at home."

Reba walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a long white lace and chiffon Charmeuse satin gown with low criss-cross straps and a sheer robe over her shoulders and a white floral hair crown.

Brock stood there with his mouth agape. "You can sign me up for that lifetime sentence right now."

"No way! I pity the woman who gets stuck in a lifetime sentence with you. You are a womanizing scoundrel. You're going to be a dentist, right? Your poor wife is going to be sitting at home while you are at the office screwing around with the receptionist or the dental hygienist."

"She's got you there, Brock. My wife is very smart." Mike said as he entered the room.

Reba beamed a big smile at Mike. "Hi." Reba greeted softly.

"Hey, Sal. You ready?" Mike asked.

Reba nodded. "You can finish taking a couple of pictures of me and then me with Mike. Then you can take off and get them developed for us," Reba said to Brock.

Brock nodded. "You want to go get a quick bite to eat, Lori Ann?"

"Nope. I gotta stay here and film them."

Brock's mouth flew open again. Mike laughed. "We're not doing anything like that. I wish that I could tell you what's going on but I've been sworn to secrecy by my bride. I'll tell you about it tomorrow night."

"You're going to be too busy for that tomorrow night, dear," Reba reminded playfully as she ran her fingers up and down Mike's arm. "Just take the pictures, Brock."

Brock took a couple of shots of the happy couple and another couple of shots of Reba alone.

"Brock, would you like to join me for a drink later? Reba and I will probably be done around midnight. The bride is going to need her beauty sleep for the big day." Lori Ann offered.

"Sure, that'll be great. I'll meet you down in the hotel lounge," Brock answered before taking the camera and leaving the room.

**Please feel free to leave a review anytime. Thanks.**


	6. Vows

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I have also previously missed spelled Mike and Terry's last name. It's supposed to be spelled Holliway, not Holloway like I had before. Sorry.

Previously-"Sure, that'll be great. I'll meet you down in the hotel lounge," Brock answered before taking the camera and leaving the room.

Now on with our story-

Mike was dressed in tight blue jeans, a white button down shirt with the top two buttons unfastened, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. Reba took in the sight of him. "Ready to get started?" Reba asked.

"Yes, darlin'. Let's do this. Are you sure that you don't want to get a minister or something?" Mike responded.

"We can't afford to pay for two ceremonies. I want tomorrow's ceremony with our friends. This is just for us. We wrote our own vows. I want this to be private and special, something to remember all of our lives. I know that you don't want to be saying these private vows to me that you wrote in front of your friends, especially Brock. He'd never let you hear the end of it. I want you to feel free to say things from your heart," Reba explained.

"I want you to have the wedding of your dreams, that's all."

"I will. I'm marrying you twice."

"How about we plan a vow renewal to celebrate twenty-five years of marriage?"

"That would be just wonderful! Do you see why I'm marrying this guy, Lori Ann?"

"Yeah, it almost makes me want to get married myself someday," Lori Ann said.

"I've got an idea. Let's plan to come back here for the vow renewal. Set the date. We'll all be back here on December 31, 2008."

"Mike, that's not our wedding anniversary."

"I know. Our wedding anniversary will be spent with our kids, and then in bed. New Years Eve sounds like a great day to come here and celebrate."

Reba laughed. "Ok, so Brock, Lori Ann, and the others will join us here for that. I can't wait! I wonder what we'll be like in twenty-five years."

"Still crazy for each other." Mike pulled Reba into a deep kiss.

When the kiss broke, Reba said, "It's still just as magical as the first time. I think we're in trouble."

"Why?"

"I have a feeling that we're gonna need a lot of birth control in the near future."

"Birth control? I thought that we would start our family as soon as possible, if you want to."

"I want that more than anything. Do you think that six kids are too much?" Reba asked.

"Good lord! You two are gonna mate like rabbits," Lori Ann said.

"That's the idea and practice makes perfect." Mike stated.

"I guess I'm not going to need the birth control I brought with me," Reba said. Reba showed Mike the condoms and birth control pills that she brought with her.

"Why are you on the pill?" Mike asked.

"I planned on us having ring-a-ding after prom."

"Really?" Mike responded with a smirk.

Reba nodded. He quickly picked up the pack of birth control pills and threw them out the window. He grabbed the condoms and tried to do the same thing.

"Wait, I might need some of those." Lori Ann shouted.

"Here, have the box and give some to Brock. You know that you want to." Reba said.

"Now we don't have any birth control." Reba remarked to Mike.

"We're gonna have a baby!" Mike said, excitedly. He picked Reba up and swung her around. After he put her down, she gave him a present. "It's for after this." she explained.

Mike pulled out a candle. He read the inscription aloud. "Today, I marry my best friend. The one I laugh with, dream with, love." He turned to Reba. "I love you, Sal."

"I love you, too."

"People, we are running out of time here. Do you want to do this or not?" Lori Ann questioned.

"Yes!" Reba responded.

"Today, Reba and Mike come together to share their love and make a commitment to each other for the rest of their lives." Lori Ann began.

"Mike, I know you all of my life. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it. I feel that I can share my deepest thoughts and dreams with you. I can't wait to be your wife and the mother of our children. I promise to always be patient, kind with my words, and tender with my touch. They say that we are too young for this, but I think that this day has been years in the making ever since our first kiss. I believe that fate has brought us together. I promise to be an equal partner in this marriage. I promise to share everything with you and never go to bed angry. Every decision made will be together." Reba said.

"Reba, I've loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I knew that you were the most special girl in the world. I promise to not keep secrets from you. I promise to love you, cherish our marriage, work hard to make you happy, and to dance with you each night before we go to bed. I promise to always listen to what you have to say. I promise that we share everything in the marriage- the cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. I want to go to bed each night with your lips on mine so each day will be as magical as the first. I will work hard to provide for our family. I want to help you achieve your dreams. I will never stand in the way of that. I am fortunate that destiny or fate or whatever has allowed me the chance to be your husband. I promise to work to make this marriage everything that we both hope for. I promise to practice everything that your grandma wrote in her marriage guide." Mike stated.

Reba had tears gently falling down her cheeks. Lori Ann continued next. "Do you both promise to be faithful to each other forever and ever and all that stuff? Then exchange rings and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"I do!" Mike and Reba answered simultaneously. Mike handed Reba her ring. It was a plain gold band. Mike had a matching wedding ring. "I'll get you a better ring with a diamond as soon as I can."

"No way! I love this one. You could always get me a diamond anniversary ring, but this one is special and nothing can replace it because it came from you."

"Good, because I had our rings inscribed." Mike slid the ring on Reba's ring finger. "I thee wed."

Reba kept looking into Mike's eyes as she slid Mike's ring on his finger. "I thee wed."

"You may now kiss the bride! You are now Mr. and Mrs. Mike Holliway." Lori Ann announced.

Mike pulled Reba into a slow, passionate kiss. Lori Ann cleared her throat. "Folks, you're steaming up the camera here."

The kiss ended. "Wow that was even better than the first one, definitely more magical!" Reba murmured.

"I aim to please. I've got a wife to satisfy," Mike remarked.

"Speaking of which, I've got another gift that need unwrapping now," Reba stated.

"We have an agreement, darlin'. No "unwrapping" until tomorrow night."

"You're not the one doing the unwrapping, buddy. I am. If you're going to see women strip tonight, then the first one is going to be your wife."

Mike's mouth dropped. Reba continued, "You're going to carry me into the living room. Then I'm going to tie you to a chair. You're going to watch while I do a sexy striptease for you."

Lori Ann tossed a pair of handcuffs to Reba. Mike swept Reba into his arms. Reba shrieked with delight. Mike carried her over the threshold into the other room. The door shut and the screen went black.

When the camera came back on, Brock was in the room. Reba and Mike opened the living room door and walked out fully dressed. "I knew that you were sexy, darlin'. I just didn't know how much was lingering under that virgin façade of yours." Mike said to Reba.

"I love you. I want to make you happy and be the perfect wife."

"You definitely accomplished that. I've never had a fantasy as good as that."

Reba smiled. "So you broke the no sex rule early, huh?" Brock asked.

"Nope. Reba just gave him an early show, that's all." Lori Ann responded.

"I did a little more than that. I couldn't let him out the door without a little release," Reba remarked.

"I'm a lucky guy," Mike said.

"I get to ask one question. Who are you going to be tonight?" Reba asked.

Mike pulled out his fake i.d. and Reba pulled out hers. "I'm Jack Collins. Pleased to meet you, darlin'." Mike stated, holding out his hand to shake.

"I'm Sally McEntire and you're the sexiest man that I've ever met." Reba declared, taking his hand and pulling him into a kiss. "Have fun, but not too much fun. Okay?"

"Don't worry, darlin'. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be the one at the chapel in the tuxedo and the big grin."

**Please feel free to leave a review anytime. Thanks. **

**Do you like it? Please tell me what you think. I love having support from readers!**


	7. Wild Night

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also have no rights to the soap opera, Another World.

For anyone who is confused, it is a private joke between Mike and Reba to have the pet names. Reba calls Mike "Jack" and Mike calls Reba "Sally". They've actually been doing that for a long time.

Previously- Mike pulled out his fake i.d. and Reba pulled out hers. "I'm Jack Collins. Pleased to meet you, darlin'." Mike stated, holding out his hand to shake.

"I'm Sally McEntire and you're the sexiest man that I've ever met." Reba declared, taking his hand and pulling him into a kiss. "Have fun, but not too much fun. Okay?"

"Don't worry, darlin'. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be the one at the chapel in the tuxedo with the big grin."

Now on with our story-

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Reba and I went out that night. She was drinking, flirting, and dancing. Around 11:30 p.m., Brock crashed our little party.

While Lori Ann's narration continued, Brock was reminded of the memories of that night also.

_He approached Lori Ann to ask how Reba was doing. She was acting totally unlike herself. She was visibly drunk. He didn't want to upset Reba by making her think that he was crashing her bachelorette party. This was madness. It was 11:30 and he was supposed to be meeting Lori Ann at midnight after Reba went to her room. He just had to check on her and make sure that she was okay. He was standing at the bar, trying to be discreet. Lori Ann noticed him and nodded to him, then Reba showed up at the bar. She ordered a Tahitian Sunset. She took a sip and looked at him._

"_Hi, there! Would you like to dance?" Reba asked._

_Brock stood there, stunned. Reba was asking him to dance. "How much did she have to drink?" he wondered to himself._

"_I'm Sally. What's your name?" Reba asked._

_Brock chuckled. "What is going on with her?" he wondered. "My name is John."_

"_Do you want to dance with me?" Reba asked again._

"_Absolutely, honey." Brock took her onto the dance floor and held her in his arms for a slow dance._

_After that, they continued to dance and flirt. Reba finished her drink and Brock finished drinking his beer. She went to order another drink. Lori Ann walked up to the bar._

"_Don't let her order another one. She's had too much to drink already."_

"_I've noticed."_

"_Hey, Lori Ann. How're you doing?"Reba slurred._

"_You've had enough to drink. Let's get you back to the room, okay?" Lori Ann urged._

"_But I'm having fun and this is it for me. I never get to do this again. I just met this really cute guy and I want to stay out longer. He looks like that guy who plays Sandy on Another World. Why is the room starting to spin?" _

"_Come on, honey. Let's get you back to your room," Brock urged._

_Lori Ann and Brock helped a now stumbling Reba upstairs to the hotel room that she shared with Lori Ann. Brock carried Reba into the room._

"_I really like you. You're strong." Reba murmured. She reached out to touch his hair and put her lips on his. Brock was so shocked that he lost his footing. They fell onto the bed. Brock was on top of Reba. Reba continued to kiss him. "You're like a fantasy," she whispered._

_Lori Ann's voice interrupted them. "She has absolutely no idea what she is doing or saying."_

_Brock quickly got off Reba. _

"_Lori Ann, I'm gonna be sick."Reba moaned._

_Brock grabbed Reba up quickly and got her to the bathroom. He held her hair until she got sick. When she was finished, he picked her up again. He placed her back down on the bed._

"_You're like the perfect guy," she said before passing out. Brock's flashback ended._

The next scene began with Reba franticly trying to get ready for her wedding. Reba has a green clay mask on her face and Lori Ann has a black mud mask on her face. The camera was on a tripod while the girls worked together to get things ready in the honeymoon suite. There was a knock on the door. Reba answered.

Reba groaned. "What do you want?"

Brock responded, "Well good morning to you, sunshine."

"I look like the bride of Godzilla and I have a killer hangover. I am not exactly the picture of beauty right now," Reba stated.

"You didn't look like the picture of beauty last night when you were throwing up in the bathroom," Lori Ann said.

"Shut up, Lori Ann! Okay, Brock. I had way too much to drink last night. Why don't do run along and tell Mike all about his ugly hung-over bride?" Reba countered.

"I just came by to see if there was anything that you needed. The wedding is in a few hours. I just wanted to help you out. Mike is doing fine without me so I decided to see what you girls were up to," Brock explained.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot that you two had a date last night. How did it go?" Reba inquired.

"Fine, if you think that taking care of a drunk friend is a great idea for a date," Lori Ann revealed.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to miss your date," Reba responded.

"I didn't miss the date. He showed up and we had to carry you up to the room after you tried to refuse to go upstairs. When you got back to the room, we had to help you while you got sick all over the bathroom," Lori Ann retorted.

"I'm so ashamed of myself. I don't normally drink like that. In fact, I won't get to drink or smoke for a long time after today," Reba replied.

"It's okay, Reba. It wasn't that big of a deal. So you're giving up drinking and smoking," Brock said.

"It's bad to do when you're pregnant," Reba explained.

Brock started coughing and choking. "Are you pregnant?"

"No, but I will be after tonight," Reba stated.

"Mike got rid of all of Reba's protection so these two actually plan to get pregnant tonight," Lori Ann explained.

"Really? So what are you ladies up to right now?" Brock asked.

"Preparing the room for the wedding night. Reba wants it to be perfect," Lori Ann replied.

"I just want things to be nice. It's not just my wedding night. It's the night that I'm going to lose my virginity and the first time that Mike and I make love," Reba stated.

"She even has a list for what she wants," Lori Ann revealed. She handed the list to Brock.

Reba's face turned crimson. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I understand how important this must be for you," Brock commented.

Reba smiled warmly. "Thank you. At last, someone understands the importance of this. Go pick up two dozen pink roses."

"Why?" Brock asked.

"Those are her favorite flowers. She wants to spread the petals on the bed and decorate the room with them," Lori Ann explained.

"Yep, we even got satin sheets for the bed," Reba declared proudly.

Lori Ann blew up condoms to hang up around the room to be funny. Reba laid out her variety of lingerie. Brock returned with the roses and sprinkled them on the bed, as per Reba's instructions. Reba ordered room service with goodies to be placed in the refrigerator in the suite. She ordered strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, grapes, and champagne. She put lotions and body oils on the nightstand near the bed. She placed scented candles around the room.

"That ought to do it. What do you think, Brock? Too girly?" Reba inquired.

"No, you only get one chance at a first time. Yours should be special just the way that you want it to be," he answered.

"Lori Ann, we've got to hurry to make our appointment on time at the salon," Reba reminded, "We're getting our hair, makeup, and nails done for the big event."

"Reba, you might want to do something about your faces first before you rush out of here," Brock teased.

The next scene came on. Reba was standing in the chapel in her wedding dress. The white dress was a matte satin scoop neck gown has wide straps. The dropped waist bodice has embroidery and beading that repeats at the hemline. The back features pleats and a v-back and chapel length train. The veil was made of soft tulle and box pleated organza with hem lace, sequins and beading. It attached with a metal comb. She was wearing white satin bridal shoes with a 3/4" inch flat heel and pleated toe. Mike was wearing a tuxedo with a black double-breasted shawl lapel, primetime silver vest, white wing collar shirt, black round-toe shoes and a white and silver stud and cufflinks set.

The organ began playing the Wedding March. Reba started down the aisle of the chapel. Her eyes were locked on Mike's as she walked. Just before she reached her destination, her eyes drifted to Lori Ann, Brock, and the rest of their friends. She smiled proudly and reached Mike. They joined hands and the ceremony began. They began to say their vows when Mike's ex-girlfriend, Kim entered the chapel.

"Stop the wedding! Mike, I have to talk to you," Kim began.

"Kim, what are you doing here at our wedding?" Reba asked. Her eyes blazed with anger.

"Mike, you can't marry her. I'm pregnant," Kim responded tearfully.

"Reba, I'm going to talk to her for just a little bit and then I'll be back. It's going to be okay," Mike said soothingly.

Mike went into a private room with Kim.

Reba's eyes filled with tears. "This is not how my wedding day was supposed to be like," she said, sobbing.

"I'm sure that everything will be fine. He'll be back and you two will get married as planned," Lori Ann commented.

"Did you know about this?" Reba asked Brock.

"Honey, I'm just as shocked as you are," Brock replied.

Mike came back to talk to Reba. "We can't get married. She's having my baby and I have to marry her."

Reba slapped Mike in the face. "I can't believe this. You're choosing to marry a woman that you don't love who claims to be pregnant instead of marrying the woman you love. There are options here. I will love and support you through this, but don't make this mistake. Please, Mike. Let's go back up to the room and talk."

"I'm sorry, Reba. I'm not going to prolong the pain for either of us. We have to end things now before we hurt each other more. At least we don't have to worry about getting divorced."

"We were supposed to grow old together! I can't believe that you would do this to me."

Reba stormed off back up the aisle to the private room to get her head together. Lori Ann followed. Reba was pacing back and forth. The friend holding the video camera ran up the aisle behind them.

"I have to figure out a way to get Mike up to the suite. If I can get him up there, then nature will take its course. We'll be together tonight and tomorrow we'll face this thing together." Reba plotted.

"What if you can't?" Lori Ann reasoned.

"Then I'll make Mike jealous. I'll flirt with the first guy that I see. I know what you're thinking. If that doesn't work, then I'm going to have the night that I planned. He doesn't deserve the gift that I've been saving for him. I'll just pick the first available guy, take him to the suite, and get it over with." Reba explained in a desperate voice.

There was a knock on the door. Brock entered the room.

"Is everything okay in here?" he asked.

"Just peachy," Reba replied sarcastically.

Lori Ann laughed. "This is priceless. He's the first guy that you see. Ask him."

"Shut up, Lori Ann. No way! I'm not asking him. I'd rather ask a stranger," Reba responded.

"Ask me what?" Brock interrupted.

"To sleep with her. Reba is looking to get some revenge tonight." Lori Ann replied.

Brock started coughing and choking.

"See, he doesn't want me any more than I want him. I have to figure out a way to get Mike back or make him crazy with jealousy."

Reba started to leave the room and the chapel. Her group of friends followed.

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Poor Reba tried very hard to get Mike into the suite, but he figured out her plan and didn't want any part of it. Reba was fuming mad. She wanted revenge. Mike declared their unofficial marriage officially over. She went downstairs to the lounge to get roaring drunk. She was once again flirting and dancing with any guy she could. I tried to get her up to the room. She wouldn't listen to reason. I left and she stayed. I didn't see her until the next morning when she franticly entered the room.

The next scene came on. Reba was pacing back and forth in her black lingerie, which consisted of long black lace and chiffon Charmeuse satin gown with low criss-cross straps and a sheer robe over her shoulders just like the white one that she wore for Mike.

"Reba, what's wrong? Are you sick from the many Passion Margaritas that you had to drink last night?" Lori Ann asked.

Reba shook her head. "I also did a few Tequila shots, but that's beside the point. I woke up this morning with a strange man in bed with me."

"Reba, you planned for that to happen. You should've known that there would be a strange man in your bed this morning."

"I was mad. I said and did some stupid things. I don't want to do anything to hurt Mike. I still love him. I'm going to talk to him this morning. But first, you have to promise not to tell anyone what I am about to tell you."

"I promise. I promise. Now spill!"

Reba held up her left hand. There was a plain gold wedding band on her ring finger.

"I think that I got married last night. I woke up this morning with this ring on my finger."

"Reba, that's just Mike's ring."

"No, I put Mike's ring in the drawer. See?" Reba opened the dresser drawer to show Lori Ann the ring. "There was a marriage license in the names of Sally McEntire and John Smith on the nightstand. The guy was fast asleep. I didn't even look at him. I got dressed fast, grabbed the rest of my clothes, and I got here as fast as I could."

There was a knock at the door. Reba answered the door.

"Good morning, honey! I thought that you might like some breakfast. What's wrong?" Brock asked. He entered the room pushing a cart of food delivered from room service.

"Oh thank goodness, it's only Brock." Reba started pacing the room again. "I'm in so much trouble."

"Calm down and let's see if we can figure this out," Brock said gently.

"Apparently I had a really wild night last night. I threw my underwear on the stage at a Tom Jones concert last night. I drank so much that I can hardly remember anything. I drank enough tequila and margaritas to get three people wasted. I let some strange guy do tequila body shots off my stomach. I woke up naked with a stranger. I'm hung-over. Mike is going to be so mad when he finds out," Reba explained.

"Why are you worried about Mike? He broke up with you," Brock asked.

"I love him and I can't lie to him about this. What if he ever found out that I kept this from him?" Reba responded.

Lori Ann giggled.

"What is so funny?" Reba demanded.

"You actually lost your virginity last night. I guess that John Smith is off-limits to me now, huh?"

"I need a cigarette." Reba remarked, sitting down on the bed. "How did I let this happen? How did you get this happen?"

"Hey, I tried to get you to go back to the room. You refused. You had already set your sights on revenge. There was no stopping you," Lori Ann explained. Lori Ann handed Reba the cigarette. "So how was it?"

"What I can remember was great. I felt things that I have never felt before. It was hot, wild, and passionate. It was better than I even imagined. I can't believe that I picked up a stranger in a bar like that."

"What exactly do you remember?" Brock asked with a smirk.

"This is not funny. I know that you find this amusing. I'm just a great big slut now, right?" Reba lashed back at Brock. "Lori Ann, you have to go down to the suite and empty my stuff out of there. Go downstairs and check me out of that room. Make sure that the guy is gone, okay? If he's still there, tell him that I already went home. Please?"

There was a knock on the door. Lori Ann kept the chain on the door and opened it slightly.

"Lori Ann, let me in. I have to talk to Reba."

"Hold on a minute. Reba, it's Mike."

Reba put the cigarette out quickly. She ran into the closet and put on a robe. Lori Ann pointed to her hand. Reba quickly got the ring off and put it in the drawer. She sat down on the bed by the breakfast food and started drinking a glass of orange juice.

Lori Ann opened the door and Mike walked into the room. "Hi, Sal."

"Hi. What are you doing here?" Reba asked.

"I needed to talk to you. Things ended really badly yesterday. I wanted to see how you were doing. We need to sort some things out." Mike replied. He put the red rose that he was holding on the breakfast cart. "What are you doing here?" he asked Brock.

"I brought the girls some breakfast. I wanted to see how they were doing. Reba was in bad shape yesterday."

"I know. I did not expect Kim to show up like that. She is demanding that I marry her or she will abort the baby. I actually have to marry her, Sal. I can't let her kill my child."

"Where does that leave us?" Reba asked.

"I don't know." Mike responded. Reba started crying and Mike sat down next to her and put his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, darlin'. I never thought that this would happen to us."

"I know. What's going to happen to me? I moved into your apartment. I have no place to live, no family, and my job is working for your family at the bar. Jack, what am I going to do without you? We planned to spend the rest of our lives together."

"The apartment was always meant to be ours. I'll never live there with Kim. I'm going to get a new place with Kim after we get back. You can stay in the apartment. I'm marrying Kim, instead of you so your dad will cool off eventually and you'll have your parents back in your life. You can look for a new job when we get back home."

Reba looked at Mike with defiance. "I am not losing my job and my husband. You can't fire me. I haven't done anything that's worth being fired over. I'm going to keep working there and you are going to deal with that."

"What am I going to tell Kim about that?"

"You can tell her that she's just going to have to trust you. We can work together without anything happening. We were friends for years without much of anything going on, especially at work."

"You're really putting me in a tight spot here, Sal. Please try to understand," Mike pleaded.

"Try to understand that I have to watch you marry another woman. I've lost everything important to me. I lost a husband, but most importantly I lost my best friend."

"Hey, I'm your best friend," Lori Ann commented.

"There are things that I trusted him with that I'd never tell anyone. I bared my soul to him. I am losing my soul mate."

"I'm still here, you know. What if we went on just like we did before? We could still be best friends."

"I'll think about it. How are we getting home?"

"I'm driving home with Kim. You could ride home with us, but I'm afraid of that being too awkward for you."

"Really? How thoughtful," Reba commented. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I'll rent a car and drive the girls home, Mike." Brock offered.

"I bet you will. You've been waiting for this. Don't think that I haven't noticed the way that you act around her," Mike remarked.

"Don't you make this about him? You did this to us. He didn't do anything. We'd be married right now if you hadn't decided to be with Kim. He had nothing to do with that. In fact, I'm perfectly capable of moving on myself without any help from either of you. When I said that I lost everything, I meant it. I used the suite last night."

Mike's face was filled with shock and dismay. He stood up and faced her. "What did you do?"

"In light of our renewed friendship, I feel that I should be completely honest with you. "I got drunk, picked up a guy in a bar, brought him back to the suite, and had sex with him."

"You didn't. You couldn't have."

"I decided to just get the whole thing over with. You don't want the wholesome girl next door anymore. Nobody does. Men make decisions based on sex and needs. I didn't want to be an inexperienced virgin anymore. You didn't want that type of gift. You're marrying a slut. You're marrying a girl who slept with you after knowing you seven days. Do you think that I forgot about that?"

"You're not that type of girl."

"I was last night. I had a one-night stand. Lots of girls, including Lori Ann, do that type of thing all the time. Why should I be any different? I had sex. It didn't mean anything. I left first thing this morning, just before the guy woke up. I made things very easy and uncomplicated. I really should hate you right now. I couldn't even look myself in the mirror this morning, but then again I really couldn't even look myself in the mirror last night after we left the chapel before it happened either," Reba declared tearfully.

Mike opened his arms and Reba walked right into his embrace.

"What a pair we are. I got drunk and had sex with the wrong girl because I thought that you shouldn't be with me. You got drunk and had sex with the wrong guy because you thought that I didn't want to be with you."

Reba looked into his eyes. "Are you really going through with it? Do we really have to spend the rest of our lives apart?"

"I don't know what else to do. I love you, but I have to take responsibility for my actions. We'll always be there for each other, okay? I can't imagine not having you to talk to and share things with."

"Does Kim know that?"

"Kim knows what she's getting into. She knows that this is a marriage of convenience."

"I actually feel sorry for the tramp. Actually, no I don't. I can't. I just feel so empty at the thought of living without you."

"You'll always be in my heart, Sal."

"Same here, Jack."

"I've got to go. Kim is waiting for me. I'll see you soon."

Mike released Reba from the embrace, kissed her on the cheek, and walked out the door. Reba collapsed down on the bed in tears. Brock sat down on the bed next to her and tried to comfort her.

"This hurts a lot more than it did yesterday. I feel like my heart is broken. Revenge didn't make this any easier like I thought that it would."

"Honey, most people don't even marry their first loves. You get a chance to live on your own terms and decide who you are going to be. Eighteen is a really young age to be getting married anyway," Brock commented.

"I spent four years loving him, planning to be with him. I don't have any other plans now. I guess I need to figure things out."

"That's right, honey. You're going to be okay." Brock said soothingly.

"He's right. You can have any guy that you want. Just think of that great guy that you were with last night. What did he look like?" Lori Ann remarked.

Reba gave a slight smile. "He had dark blonde hair, strong arms, and bedroom eyes. You saw him before."

"When?"

"Night before last at the bachelorette party. I was flirting with him at the bar when I went to get another Tahitian Sunset. I don't actually remember much after the third drink, but I do remember that. I think that I remember you trying to get me to leave, but I'm not sure."

"Brock, can I talk to you for a second?"

The scene ended there. The next scene came on. Reba was holding a pregnancy test and was pacing the floor. "What am I going to do, Lori Ann? My parents are furious. I can't stay here. I have to leave town. I was wanting to anyway. I didn't want to watch Mike marry Kim so I found a family that would hire me as a nanny over in Ada. They have school age children that I can take care of in the afternoons, nights, and weekends. I can get a waitress job part-time during the day and I can still go to classes at East Central University part-time. I'll quit waitressing when the baby is born. This seems to be the only way that I can work and stay with the baby once it's born. "

"So you're just going to go off and do this all alone," Lori Ann remarked.

"I can't stay here. Everyone in town knows that Mike and I went to Vegas. There are rumors and whispers about what happened. I don't want Mike blamed for my mistake. My father is ready to shoot first and ask questions later."

"Where are you going to live?"

"The nanny job is a live-in position. They hired me knowing about the pregnancy. I told them that there was a brief marriage and a divorce. I'm going to wear the ring from Vegas. There's nothing else to do. I got pregnant from a stranger and I left the next morning before he woke up. I don't even know if John Smith was his real name."

"That's the smartest thing that you've said so far."

"Lori Ann, that's just mean. We'll still see each other. You'll come visit me in Ada. We'll talk on the phone. I'll only be two counties over. I can't come back here. I don't want anyone to find out that I'm pregnant."

"Reba, stay here and don't move. You can't leave until I get back, okay? I'll be right back." Lori Ann ordered.

Reba had her coat and suitcase ready in the living room. Lori Ann ran back up the stairs to the apartment a short time later, followed by Mike and Brock.

Mike rushed over to where Reba was standing. "You're leaving? Where are you going, darlin'? What's wrong? Lori Ann said that you had something important to tell us."

"I have something important to tell you. But first, I've got to ask you if you would still be marrying Kim if she weren't pregnant,"

"You know the answer to that."

"Okay. What if the situation got a little more complicated? What if you and I had actually had sex the night that you proposed and I happened to get pregnant?"

"I don't know how to answer that."

"Okay. What if I were in trouble, serious trouble?"

Mike took Reba in his arms. "You can tell me anything. Whatever it is, I'll be there for you."

"I didn't plan on telling you this. I'm pregnant. If you really wanted to help me, you'd marry me and raise the baby with me."

"I can't do that. I can't turn my back on my own child."

"I see things clearly now. You'll never be able to love my child because it isn't yours. It's good to know. I'm leaving town. I've got a job and I'm leaving to have the baby on my own. Goodbye, Jack." Reba said, pulling out of his arms.

"Will you talk some sense into her, Brock?" Lori Ann urged.

"Reba, I'll marry you." Brock declared.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not marrying someone I don't love just because I'm pregnant.  
We'd be miserable. This isn't your responsibility. It's mine. I've got a job and a place to live. I'm going to raise the baby on my own. I can be a single mother. This isn't the 1950's, you know?"

"I know that. Can't we sit down and talk about this?"

"Nope, I'm leaving. Thanks for the offer. It's more than he was willing to do," Reba acknowledged. She hugged Brock.

"At least tell me where are you going?" Brock asked.

Reba shook her head. "I'm not telling either of you. I'm leaving town and I'm not coming back. Don't look at Lori Ann because she's not telling you either."

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Reba got in her car and drove away. I finally gave in to pressure from the guys and told them where Reba was about six months later. She was having trouble with the pregnancy. She was suffering from pre-eclampsia. Brock proposed again and Reba agreed to think about it. Brock was hopeful until Mike showed up at the hospital.

The next scene came on. Reba was sitting in the hospital room in labor with Brock by her side. Mike came into the room.

"I came as soon as I heard, Sal. How're you doing?"

"How does it look like I'm doing, you moron? I'm in labor and it's too early to deliver the baby, but my blood pressure is too high to keep the pregnancy going. What are you doing here?"

"Brock, I'm sorry. I know that we had a deal, but I can't step aside. Kim had a miscarriage. My reasons for being married to her are over. Please marry me. I was fool when you first told me about the baby. I am so sorry, Sal."

"What deal was that? The deal where you play with my emotions to get your own way. I don't know what to say to you. I can't deal with this right now. I'm about to have a baby. Your timing really stinks," Reba declared.

The nurse and doctor entered the room. It was time to push. Reba struggled to push the new life into the world.

"It's a boy. What are you going to name him, Mama?" the doctor announced.

"John, John McKinney." Reba announced.

Brock bent down to kiss Reba's forehead. She looked over at Mike, who asked the doctor if he could hold the baby. Mike held the tiny baby in his hands. He smiled and whispered softly to the baby. Reba's eyes filled with tears.

"You were wrong. I can love this baby. He's a part of you and you are my life. Marry me, darlin'. Let me take you both home," Mike pleaded.

Reba looked at Brock. "The only reason to marry someone is love. There is no other reason to marry someone other than that. That is what marriage means to me. I'm sorry. I can't marry you, Brock. I love Mike. You deserve to be with someone who really and truly loves you. I can't be that person for you. I want to work things out with Mike. Thank you for being here and being such a good friend."

Reba got to hold the baby briefly before it was time to get the tiny 2 pound baby to the NICU.

"I'm going down with the baby for a little while and talk to the doctors," Brock said.

Reba nodded gratefully. It was an exhausting day. Mike sat down next to her bed and held her hand.

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

The next two days were torture for Reba as the baby faced many medical problems. John's lungs weren't fully developed and he was so tiny. He died when he was two days old. Reba was filled with grief. She told Mike that she wouldn't marry him. She told him that he was off the hook because she wasn't in trouble anymore. She told him to go back to Kim. Reba returned back home from Ada, but she wasn't the same. She started college and moved into the dorms. She continued to work at the bar. She started dating again. She even dated Mike's other friend, Parker Reynolds and Terry Holliway, who still held a crush on her. She looked like a typical carefree college student. She was partying and hanging out with friends. She never did get over John's death. Brock was the only one she turned to in order to deal with the baby's death. She hardly spoke about it at all and eventually leaning on Brock led to something more than friendship. Shortly after that, a pregnancy and engagement were announced by the couple.

The next scene came on. A party was going on in the Holliway bar. Reba and some of her closest friends were serving drinks behind the bar. They hopped up on the bar and started dancing. Reba started singing "Fever".

"Honey, you're the sexiest pregnant woman that I've ever met. Wanna come home with me, tonight?" Brock teased.

"I would, but I don't think that my fiancé would like it. I'm getting married in the morning."

"What a lucky guy!"

"I'm the lucky one."

Reba got off the bar and started dancing seductively toward Brock. She stopped in front of him. She lowered her lips slowly to his. She captured his mouth in a long, sensuous kiss. Lori Ann grabbed Reba.

"That's enough, you two. You'll see each other tomorrow at the wedding. Reba's got to get upstairs for the bachelorette party. Y'all have fun now, gentlemen."

Lori Ann and Reba were laughing all the way up the stairs to the apartment.

"Tell me again why we're having our party here."

"Because Mike said that we could. It'll be fun. I promise. We've got male strippers"

Reba sat down in the chair marked "Bride". She groaned. Lori Ann put a blindfold on Reba. The song, "Relax" began to play. Reba heard her friends whistling loudly. She felt someone rub up against her. The male stripper was grinding against her. Reba's friends were cheering and shouting. When he came up against her again, she took her hands and ran them up and down his muscular chest. He took her hand and began to kiss her fingers, running his tongue over them slightly. Reba quivered. A jolt of electricity ran through her. "Wow, you're very talented," Reba told him. She joined in the cheering of her friends. He continued to repeat his actions as he continued to leave her trembling from his touch.

A short time later, he whispered in her ear. "Just trying to return the favor, darlin'. This is your freebie night, isn't it?"

**Please feel free to leave a review anytime. Thanks. **

**Do you like it? Please tell me what you think. I love having support from readers!**

Tahitian Sunsets are made from:

1/2 oz vodka  
1/2 oz Malibu coconut rum  
1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur  
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur  
1 - 2 oz Schweppes lemonade  
1 - 2 oz pineapple juice  
1 dash raspberry cordial

Passion Margaritas are made from:

3/4 oz Alize Gold Passion liqueur  
3/4 oz 1800 Tequila  
1 oz Cointreau orange liqueur  
3/4 oz fresh lime juice


	8. Torn Between Two Loves

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- Lori Ann and Reba were laughing all the way up the stairs to the apartment.

"Tell me again why we're having our party here."

"Because Mike said that we could. It'll be fun. I promise. We've got male strippers"

Reba sat down in the chair marked "Bride". She groaned. Lori Ann put a blindfold on Reba. The song, "Relax" began to play. Reba heard her friends whistling loudly. She felt someone rub up against her. The male stripper was grinding against her. Reba's friends were cheering and shouting. When he came up against her again, she took her hands and ran them up and down his muscular chest and abs. He took her hand and began to kiss her fingers, running his tongue over them slightly. Reba quivered. A jolt of electricity ran through her. "Wow, you're very talented," Reba told him. She joined in the cheering of her friends. He continued to repeat his actions as he continued to leave her trembling from his touch.

A short time later, he whispered in her ear. "Just trying to return the favor, darlin'. This is your freebie night, isn't it?"

Now on with our story-

Reba took off her blindfold. Mike Holliway was standing in front of her, dancing and removing an article of clothing. Lori Ann was sitting in another chair with Terry Holliway, gyrating in front of her. She laughed.

"There is no way that I was going to let you participate in this party with professional male strippers. This was the safest option." Mike explained.

"Oh, yeah. Who says? You're not the boss of me and I'm definitely not safe if I'm with you." Reba responded.

"At least it is there isn't anything on me that you haven't seen before. I think that I should have a say in whether or not you see naked men tonight."

"Really? What gives you the right? Brock doesn't have a problem with it."

"I'm the ex-husband so I think that gives me some rights and this is my apartment."

"You don't live here anymore. This is our apartment. You left it to me when you walked out. We paid good money for this party and we girls want our money's worth."

"Okay, you're the boss. You want a show, a really public one. I'll give you the same show that you gave me after we got married."

Reba and Mike were standing inches apart now. Reba's eyes were blazing.

"Go ahead. The only one who should care is Brock and he doesn't care about what I'm doing tonight; besides I don't care about you like that anymore."

"Is that so? Care to test that theory?"

Mike moved in closer and captured her lips swiftly. The kiss went on, lingering. It was deep and passionate.

"Nope. I didn't feel anything. You've lost your touch, baby. You want a kiss that will blow someone away. Try this."

Reba moved in to initiate another kiss forcefully. It was fierce and full of intense aching want. She made it last longer than the last kiss. She pulled away and Mike stood there, speechless.

"That is how to really kiss someone. You won't be getting another one like that from me ever again. I don't kiss married men unless they're married to me."

"Okay, you win. You want a show? You got it."

She sat back down. He started removing his shirt slowly, button by button. Reba's heart started pounding in her chest. Reba went over to talk to Lori Ann in hushed whispered. Reba walked back over to Mike. Lori Ann stood up in front of Terry. The song on the stereo changed to "In the Air Tonight".

"This is how it's going to go. Your clothes are coming off. Our clothes will stay on. The deal is that we are going to slowly undress you ourselves. The rule is that we call the shots and you don't get to touch us."

"Whatever turns you on, babe."

Reba began unbuttoning his shirt, slowly slipping it off. She ran her fingers up and down his chest. Lori Ann was mimicking Reba's moves as she undressed Terry. Reba turned her back to Mike and slid her body up and down on Mike. She turned him around and ran her hands up and down his back. She danced around him. She began unfastening his belt, then unzipping his pants. The belt was removed. The pants were pulled down. Shoes were kicked off. The pants came off. Mike held Reba close as they continued to move to the beat. He dipped her. She slowly lifted herself up to Mike. Mike rubbed up against her. She grabbed a dollar stuck it into his briefs.

"You're gonna have to give me a kiss if you want to reach in there again." He put his hands on either side of her face and brought her in for a kiss. It was gentle this time and less fierce. Reba lost track of how long that kiss was. He gently pulled away first. Reba's eyes were closed. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Let's keep the party going. Please excuse me for a minute. I need some air," Reba said. She grabbed a glass of wine. Lori Ann followed her out to the balcony. The friend with the video camera followed.

"I need a cigarette. Lord help me," Reba declared.

Lori Ann handed her a cigarette out of the pack in her pocket. Reba started shaking.

"Reba, you're doing great! I think that you've got him convinced that the only thing left over between you is a physical attraction," Lori Ann declared.

"I can't keep this up. I've never been so turned on in my life. I want him so bad. I haven't felt this way since Vegas. Brock is sweet, but Mike is so fierce. It's fast and furious over and over again for hours, and that's only going to third base," Reba responded.

"Wow! Hey, do you mind if I stay here tonight? Terry deserves a reward for his hard work," Lori Ann asked.

"At least someone is getting physical tonight. You two can stay in the spare room. It stinks to be pregnant, hormonal, and all turned on," Reba retorted.

"You could go downstairs and grab Brock for a quickie," Lori Ann suggested.

"I think that I'd scare him if I grabbed him, threw him up against the wall, and did it with him right up against the wall in the bathroom. Brock is not that way. He's never seen that side of me before," Reba responded.

"What about Vegas?" Lori Ann questioned.

"What about Vegas? I was the same way in Vegas that I've always been with Mike; fierce, intense, and passionate. I was also very drunk. It was a one night stand for goodness sakes. My inhibitions were lowered so I was wilder than usual. Mike is so sexy, you know. I'm having trouble handling it tonight. The problem is that Mike is very good in bed. He drives me up the wall. My virginity was merely a technicality. We also stopped short of a home run every time so we'd have a special wedding night. He looks so good. If I weren't pregnant, I'd be doing tequila body shots right off of him," Reba explained.

The conversation was interrupted by Mike. "You're pregnant?" he asked.

"Yeah, we planned to tell people after the wedding," she replied.

"I heard you. You think I'm sexy. I drive you wild. You look good too, honey," Mike said as he came out onto the balcony, wearing his pants and shirt again.

Reba blushed. "You weren't supposed to hear that. Go back inside the party. You're getting paid to shake your rear for my friends out there."

"Put the cigarette and the wine down. We'll talk about who's the boss of who later. I just want to dance with you. Come on, Sal. One dance is not going to hurt anyone."

Reba took Mike's hand as he led her back inside. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was playing on the stereo. Mike took Reba into his embrace while the song played. Reba started crying.

"I love you and only you. I left Kim. I want to be with you. Will you be my ex-ex-wife?"

"I'm pregnant with Brock's baby. That changes everything."

"It doesn't have to. I loved John from the moment that he was born. I will love Cheyenne, too."

"How did you know that I would name this baby Cheyenne?"

"Because I know you, Sal. You always talked about naming a daughter after your grandmother. That was the name that we planned for our little girl."

"If you think that you can just waltz in here and sweet talk me, you've got another thing coming."

"I'm not trying to sweet talk you. I need you to listen to me. We waited four years from our first kiss to finally get married and have sex. Brock is the one doing the sweet talking. It only been six months since the baby died and six months since you walked out on me last time. I know that you were in pain, but so was I. I went to the hospital to be with the woman I love and our child, only to go home empty and alone. Brock was your shoulder to cry on. He always is. What happened to us being everything for each other? You told Brock that marriage was for love only. You love me. You didn't even love Brock six months ago. Honey, let's face it. You rushed into things with Brock too fast."

Mike looked into her eyes and leaned in to kiss her.

"I don't know if I can do this. This is wrong on so many levels. You need to leave. Lori Ann and I are staying the night here. I'm exhausted and I've got to get some sleep."

"That's too bad that I'm staying here tonight, too."

"I'm sleeping in my room. Lori Ann and Terry have the other room. I guess you are going to sleep on the couch."

"I'm not getting kicked out of my own room and my own bed."

"No, that's my bed. It's been my bed since I got the apartment from you."

"I paid for that bed. I'm sleeping on it."

Reba slapped him upside the head. "You, moron! You're not supposed to force a pregnant woman to sleep on the couch while you sleep comfortably in her bed."

"Nobody is sleeping on the couch, Sal."

"Oh yeah, there's only one bed available. I'm pregnant and getting married tomorrow. We can't share the bed."

"Shut up, Sal. Stop overanalyzing everything. Try focusing on what's right in front of you right now. I love you and I'm going to spend all night convincing you to follow your heart."

He seized her mouth in a fiery kiss. He backed her up against the wall near the bedroom.

Reba took a breath. "What in the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Driving you up the wall. Isn't that what you said that you wanted? You said that you wanted fierce, intense, and passionate lovemaking right up against the wall."

"I didn't mean like this. Are you crazy? Your brother and all of my friends are here."

"Nobody is going to care. There's enough booze, food, and music to keep them partying all night if they wanted to. Let's go into the bedroom." Mike scooped Reba up over his shoulder.

"Lori Ann, aren't you supposed to rescue me from making a total fool of myself?" Reba called out.

"Alright, Mike. Enough is enough. You've had your fun. Put her down," Lori Ann shouted.

As they approached the room, the girls stopped complaining when they saw the room. It was filled with red roses. There were red rose petals on the bed.

"Hey, Lori Ann. If you like this, then you'll love what you see in the other room," Terry remarked.

Lori Ann ran to look into the other bedroom. It was decorated in roses just like Reba's room. She ran back up to Terry and jumped into his arms.

"I do believe that you are boyfriend material. Sorry, Reba. I can't help you here. The boy has earned some lovin' tonight," Lori Ann responded. "Come on, Terry. Let's go fool around. See you later, guys."

Terry carried Lori Ann into the other bedroom and shut the door. Mike picked Reba back up and carried her into the bedroom without much fuss from anyone.

The bedroom door opened again in the morning. Mike turned the video camera on and puts it on the tripod in the bedroom. Mike whistled as he heads to the kitchen, and then he returned to the bedroom with a breakfast tray. He wakes Reba up with a kiss and sets the tray in front of her.

"Good morning, love of my life."

"Good morning. Thanks for breakfast. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I wanted to make sure that you and the baby got a nice breakfast."

Reba smiled. "This is really sweet, but I have to get ready for a wedding in six hours." She looked the clock in astonishment.

"We've been up talking most of the night. You spent all of last night in my arms. Are you still going through with the wedding? You can't marry him if you still love me. You said that you still love me," Mike pleaded.

"I'm trying to be fair here. I want to make sure that I make the right decision. It's not just about me anymore. I have to make decisions as somebody's mother. I have to think about what's best for Cheyenne. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, but I want you to know that I'm prepared to be a good father, darlin'. I promise."

"You don't get it, do you? Brock knows that I am having his child. He has rights. He has the right to be Cheyenne's father and she has the right to know her father. Even if we get together to raise her, I still have to set up some type of visitation rights for Brock. Whatever I decide affects Brock, too. I know that you will be a great stepfather to Cheyenne and that you will love her like your own, but Brock is going to be a part of this, too."

"Fair enough. I wanted my rights when Kim announced that she was pregnant, too."

Reba's face turned red with anger. "I never want to hear that name again. I mean it. She is nothing to us. She is not even the mother of your child anymore. You can't ever mention that name to me ever again after your divorce is final. We are going to pretend that this whole mess never happened if we decide to be together."

Lori Ann came into the room. "Hi, you guys. Reba, do you know that there is a wedding happening in six hours?"

"We were just talking about that. I'm calling Brock to meet me here so I can talk to him."

Reba picked up the telephone on the nightstand next to the bed. "Hello, Brock. It's me, Reba. I need to talk to you right away. I'm at the apartment. I spent the night here. I know that the wedding is in a few hours, but I have to talk to you now in person. It's really important and it can't wait." She hung up the phone. She started crying. "This is horrible. No matter what I decide I am hurting someone that I love. Brock is so gentle and kind. I can't stand the thought of breaking his heart."

"Are we talking about the same Brock Hart here? He doesn't get heartbroken. He does the heartbreaking. I've seen him crush the hearts of so many girls without any consideration or concern. You have to know that if you choose him, you will eventually get heartbroken. He doesn't understand the meaning of the word, faithful. He is a fun, but selfish guy. He's always had money and doesn't understand what it is like not to have what you want. He's a great guy, but I've never seen him get emotionally invested in a woman enough for a lifetime commitment. He can say that he is, but he will be the same man that you shouted at in Vegas. I walked into the room as you were putting him in his place. You said that you pitied the woman who gets stuck in a lifetime sentence with him. You said that he was a womanizing scoundrel. You said that his poor wife is going to be sitting at home while he is at the office screwing around with the receptionist or the dental hygienist. That poor wife could be you. You're placing a lot of trust in someone that you hardly know, honey." Mike moved to hug Reba.

Reba held her hand up to stop him. "I have to get dressed. I do have a few items here in the closet. I am not going to have Brock see me in my nightgown, especially if he sees you here. He'll get the wrong idea," Reba remarked.

"I think that he's going to get the right idea. You spent the night in bed with Mike," Lori Ann responded.

"Nothing happened last night. We just talked and slept," Reba explained.

"You spent the night in the same bed with your ex. Do you honestly think that Brock is going to be okay with that?" Lori Ann asked.

"That's why Brock is never going to know about this. It isn't cheating if you haven't had sex. We didn't have sex, no matter how Mike made it appear last night. We got in here and I ended up getting sick soon after we got in here. The baby makes her presence well known at the worst times. Mike ended up taking care of me all night. He just held me and we talked. We only slept in the same bed. At least our room was quiet. We heard all about your night through the walls. Terry is the only man in this apartment who got lucky last night," Reba explained.

Reba went into the bathroom to get dressed. There was a knock on the front door entrance outside. Reba moved Lori Ann and Mike into the other bedroom, and then she answered the door.

"Hi, honey. Are you okay? You didn't sound so good on the phone. Is everything okay? Is the baby okay?" Brock asked.

"I'm okay now. I had some morning sickness last night. I don't know why they call it morning sickness. I'm sick all the time. I just needed to see you." Reba responded nervously.

Brock put his arms around Reba and kissed her. "You don't seem okay, Reba. What's going on?"

"I did a lot of thinking last night after the party. I need to ask you some serious questions. Please answer them honestly. Don't worry about upsetting me. I just need honesty."

"Reba, honey, I'll tell you anything that you want to know. Is this about my bachelor party last night?"

"No. Why do you want to marry me?"

" 'Cause I love you, honey."

"Are you trying to marry me because I'm pregnant?"

"No. The baby is just a wonderful surprise. It's a bonus for us to get to have a child right now."

"I know how old-fashioned you are. You do not have to marry me because I'm pregnant. If that's the case, then we can work on some other way to raise this baby together. I promise you that I'm okay if you don't want to marry me today. I don't want us to get married because we feel like we have to. We haven't known each other long enough to make this type of lifetime commitment, just because of a pregnancy."

"Reba, we've known each other since you were 16. I bet you don't even remember the first time we met."

"We met because of Mike. We never even got along until six months ago. That isn't a strong foundation. We are going to be parents. We have to think about what is best for the baby. She deserves to be raised in a warm, loving environment with two parents who really love each other."

"But I do really love you, honey. I think that I've loved you since the first time that I kissed you. I promise you that we're going to give this baby everything that he or she deserves, including two extremely loving parents. I got this in the mail yesterday. I was going to talk to you about this later. I got accepted to the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston. We can live in university housing there with a child care center nearby. We've got a nice chance to get a fresh start away from here and any bad memories. I promise you that we're going to be okay. We're going to be a family. I want to marry you and move us to Houston if it's okay with you."

"Wow. That's some big news all at once. Are you going?"

"That's what we have to talk about together. We're a family. I want to make this decision together. Sure, I'd like to go back home to Texas and it's a great dental school. That's not what's important to me. I only want to go if you want to go. I know that we'll be on our own, but we'll come back here and visit as much as we can. It'll be scary for you to move away from home, but I know that we can do it as long as we have each other."

Brock looked into Reba's eyes. Reba ran her fingers through his dark golden hair and looked into his deep blue eyes. Brock closed the distance between them and pulled her to him for a kiss. The kiss was brief and gentle, the way that he had always treated her.

"Let's get married, okay?" Brock questioned.

Lori Ann, Mike, and Terry came in from the other bedroom.

"Come on, Sal. Tell him that you still love me," Mike urged.

Reba walked over to him. "Brock and Cheyenne are my family now. I have to think about what is best for them. I'm sorry, but I love him. I really do. You know how I feel about you, but that isn't important right now. I just can't walk away from my one chance to give my daughter a real family with both of her parents."

Mike spoke softly to Reba."So I guess that you kinda love him, but I know that you love me, too. If for some reason it doesn't work out for you, I'll always been here for you. We've always been there for each other. I'll be here for you if you need me. Do me a favor, Sal. Live longer than Brock because I still want to marry you and grow old with you," Mike acknowledged.

Reba got tears in her eyes. "That is the sweetest thing that you've ever said to me. Thank you, Jack. I really appreciate that you can still say something like that, even when I'm in the process of walking out here. Do me a favor and go home. Give things with Kim another shot. You picked her to be the mother of your children when you married her so give her a chance to give you some children."

"Wait a second. This isn't right. It's wrong for Brock to get away with all of the stuff that he has pulled and still get to walk away with you. Reba, someday you're going to find out all of the things that he has done and you won't like what you see. Brock, you've hurt my brother for the last time. Reba belongs with Mike and you know it. You're a dead man!" Terry shouted. Terry moved to punch Brock in the face. Brock grabbed Reba's hand and the two ran off out the door.

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

The next time that Mike saw Reba again was seventeen years later when she walked back into his bar. She was counting on his promise that he's always be there for her. Her marriage to Brock had crumbled. Reba needed to lean on someone to help her through her heartbreak so she went back home to Oklahoma and walked right back into Mike's life.

The next scene began as Reba walked right into the Holliway bar. Mike was working behind the bar serving drinks. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Reba greeted.

"So you've got more than one ex-husband?" Mike questioned.

"I do now. It's over. First, he had a midlife crisis, and then he started cheating on me with his dental hygienist. When he first moved out, I thought that the separation would be temporary. I caught him kissing the other woman in his office. I can't believe that I was such a fool. I actually thought that the moron loved me."

"I've got more than one ex-wife now. I care about Kim as the mother of my children, but that's it. I never loved her like a husband should love a wife. I'm so sorry, honey. It will get better. I promise. It's been two years since my divorce and I'm getting over it. What are you and Lori Ann up to tonight?"

"I came back home to forget about my problems for awhile. Lori Ann wanted to capture this on video. I'm supposed to let my hair down and just have fun. I took the kids and left Texas. I didn't even talk to Brock about it. Why should I? I'm really mad, hurt, and rejected. I just wanted to feel the way that I used to feel."

"Do you want a drink? What'll it be, Tahitian Sunset or Passion Margarita?"

"Is that a loaded question? How do you know about that?"

"Babe, there are a lot of things that I know about from Vegas."

"How about a shot of whiskey?"

"Coming right up, darlin'. I like your hair. When did you cut it?"

"Just before I left Houston. I just walked out of his office, got my hair cut, called Lori Ann, packed up with the kids, and headed here. The kids don't know anything. They think that this is a visit with their grandparents."

"And you decided to show up here right away?"

"Yeah. You told me that you'd always be a shoulder to cry on."

"Honey, Brock is a fool. He'd have to be crazy to leave you."

"He married the repressed version of me. I've spent all these years living like a Stepford wife, Perfect house, perfect kids, and all that. I even joined the Junior League."

"Good lord, darlin'. How did you do it?"

"I would've turned myself inside out to make the marriage work, but eventually we grew apart. We started fighting and that was that. The kids hate it. I hate the kids are hurting, but what can I do?"

"Just do the best you can. That's all any parent can do. So do you want to forget about all that stuff now and just have fun?"

Reba drank the shot of whiskey down fast. "Absolutely. How about a Tahitian Sunset, and then maybe later we can have Passion Margaritas together?"

"There's my Sally. I knew that sooner or later we'd have that conversation. So how long has it been?"

"A little over a year. It sounds bad, I know. I just didn't know what to do. He didn't come home and then when he did come home, we'd just fight or go to bed angry."

"What happened to living by the marriage guide with the rules to follow? What happened to that girl? What happened to the wife who made me follow the rules?"

"I threw them out when I married Brock. I just wanted to make him happy. He got the version of Reba that he wanted. I work to support the family while Brock went to dental school. I helped him set up a successful dental practice. I tried to make a nice home. I gave him three beautiful children. I thought that would be enough."

"I just can't believe that you threw out the guide. I was willing to spend fifty years or so working on building a marriage based on that guide."

"I was young and stupid. When the baby died, I just lost it. You saw what I was like. I wasn't me. I don't think that I snapped out of it until today."

"How about singing with the band tonight?"

"You still have a band playing here?"

"On the weekends. It's lots of fun. You know how much we loved performing on the stage. I never did get it out of my system. It drove Kim crazy."

Reba laughed. "It does sound like fun. Wanna sing with me?"

"Wanna dance with me, darlin'?"

"Are you flirting with me, Mr. Holliway?"

"That depends. Do you want me to flirt with you?"

"Absolutely, Jack." Reba ran her fingers up and down his arm. Mike moved in closer and captured her lips swiftly. The kiss went on, lingering. It was deep and passionate.

"You call that a kiss. I'll show you how to kiss someone hello after such a long absence. Try this."

Reba moved in to initiate another kiss forcefully. It was fierce and full of intense aching want. She made it last longer than the last kiss. She pulled away and Mike stood there, smirking.

"We can play this little game all night, Sal. As much as I enjoy competitive kissing, I'd really like to get you out on the dance floor."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself, Mr. Holliway. How do I know if I'm safe with you? Are you planning on seducing me?"

"I should be asking you that question, Mrs. Hart. That seems to be your method of revenge, not mine. You came for a one night stand so you can get even with Brock. That's what you did to me in Vegas, right? You downed half a dozen Passion Margaritas and a couple of Tequila shots. You picked up a guy at a bar and spent the night screwing him. As much as I'd like to see Brock get a taste of his own medicine, I think that you'd regret it in the morning. I never want you to ever feel that way about making love with me, honey."

"I really screwed my life up, didn't I?"

"It's nothing that can't be fixed; besides I never regretted the baby for one minute. He was ours, right from the minute he was born. I understand about Cheyenne. I would've hated for you to wake up one morning and regret your decision to be with me instead of Brock. You had to get Brock out of your system. Are you about finished getting Brock out of your system now?"

"No, because I'm still a fool."

"Then we'll just spend some time together. I won't let anything happen until you come back to me and tell me that you choose me and only me."

"When I'm ready, I promise that you'll be the first one that I call. Did you mean it when you said that you still wanted to marry me and grow old with me after I was done with Brock?"

"How about I make you a deal? If we don't marry someone by December 31, 2008, then we'll marry each other in Las Vegas just like the first time. We should be finished getting everything out of our systems by then." Mike said teasingly. Reba offered Mike a hand to shake to seal the deal.

"I'm going to take you up on your offer, Mike. You'll be the one guy that I will never get out of my system. Part of my heart will always love you. It won't take much to stir that up again. I've wanted to spend the rest of my life with you since I was fourteen years old and you kissed me for the first time."

"I believe that you just agreed to marry me, Sal."

"Only if I'm not already married by then. And you have to get my father's permission this time. We're doing this the right way. It won't be hard. My father thinks the world of Brock and you see how that turned out. You'll look like a prince in comparison."

Mike took her hand, briefly shaking it. He moved to pull her into a kiss. It was long and deep. When it was over, Reba was breathless. "I think that you've improved with age, Jack."

"Some things only get better with time. Do you want to dance with me or not?"

Reba nodded. Mike took her in his arms for a slow dance. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I was so stupid. I hurt the only man who's ever loved me unconditionally," Reba said.

"I'm sorry that I didn't break up with Kim sooner, long before prom. If I had then, we'd have been married for the last twenty years."

"I know. I think that this spot was made just for me." Reba responded. Her head was up against his chest as he held her close.

"We have to work on the communication thing, you know?"

"I know. We could spend all night on if onlys. As much as I hate how I shut you out when the baby died, I can't imagine my life without Cheyenne just the way that she is, even if you're not her father. She's at my parents' house right now. Would you like to meet her?"

"I'd really like to meet all of your kids. Do you want to meet my sons?"

"Definitely. I don't want to scare you, but I've always wanted at least two more kids. Between us, we already have six children. Do you want any more?"

"Honey, I've always wanted to have kids with you. It would be nice to have a daughter. I have all boys."

"This is nice. I never thought that we'd be this way again."

"I hate having to see you go back to Houston, but you have to go back. The only way that we can be together is without any regrets. You have to make sure that things are really done between you and Brock. You should try to save your marriage, if you can. Go back to the guide and turn things around. Brock used to be my best friend. I'm not going to steal his wife from him. You have to give him the chance to come to his senses."

"You never cease to amaze me. You want me to marry you someday and you're still trying to help me save my marriage. So how do I help get Brock to come to his senses? He's got a mistress to take care of his needs, day and night."

"How hard did you work to get me to notice you?"

"Very hard. I had to insert myself into all kinds of situation so you would finally see me as sexy so you'd finally want to be with me."

"It's all about attraction. You've got to put everything else to the side and reconnect with him. Make him see you like he did when you were first together. You two were only dating for about three months when you got pregnant and got married. There had to be a lot of physical attraction there for things to happen that fast. It's like the competitive thing that we've always had going, where we try to outdo each other. You're just going to have to work to compete to get him back. Can you bring the passion back to make him want you?"

"Never issue a challenge like that to me again, Holliway." Reba warned. Reba answered his question by kissing him with all the passion she had stored up in her heart. Her tongue started begging for an entrance and he let her in. He moved down to kiss her neck. He pulled away from her suddenly and swore.

"You win. You would test the patience of a saint. You've got enough passion in you to make any man want you. If we don't stop, I'm going to take you upstairs and forget all of my good intentions."

"Thanks Mike. Thanks for being my best friend and everything else. We have a very strange relationship for being exes. I haven't felt beautiful or sexy in so long. I really appreciate having someone to appreciate me."

"For the record, you are very irresistible. You were in Vegas. You were like a wildfire out of control. You're always ten times more determined when you drink. It's a potent combination."

"I think I'm going to fly back right now and surprise him. I'll leave the kids with my parents and try to spend some time alone with him. We'll see what happens. I should get home in a couple of hours or so."

"Have Lori Ann drive you to the airport. Make sure that she's the designated driver."

Reba put her arms around Mike's neck. She stood there holding him tight. "I love you, Mike Holliway. Someday I'll be back and there will be no other man in my heart except you." Mike placed a kiss on her forehead.

Lori Ann had the camera pointed on Reba's face. She had tears in her eyes. She grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

**Please feel free to leave a review anytime. Thanks. **

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I appreciate your comments. Thank you so much. I want to express my thanks to the following reviewers who have given me valuable feedback.

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leesy96 


	9. Saving Reba to begin again

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. The character of Kim Campbell from this story is my creation though.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- "Thanks Mike. Thanks for being my best friend and everything else. We have a very strange relationship for being exes. I haven't felt beautiful or sexy in so long. I really appreciate having someone to appreciate me."

"For the record, you are very irresistible. You were in Vegas. You were like a wildfire out of control. You're always ten times more determined when you drink. It's a potent combination."

"I think I'm going to fly back right now and surprise him. I'll leave the kids with my parents and try to spend some time alone with him. We'll see what happens. I should get home in a couple of hours or so."

"Have Lori Ann drive you to the airport. Make sure that she's the designated driver."

Reba put her arms around Mike's neck. She stood there holding him tight. "I love you, Mike Holliway. Someday I'll be back and there will be no other man in my heart except you." Mike placed a kiss on her forehead.

Lori Ann had the camera pointed on Reba's face. She had tears in her eyes. She grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

_Author's note-The story picks up from the first season of Reba. Brock has announced that he's going to marry Barbra Jean because she is pregnant with his child. Cheyenne's pregnancy has been revealed. Cheyenne and Van were married just like in the pilot episode. There's just one big problem that Reba has to face so she's going back to get Mike's help. Reba feels humiliated and alone. She doesn't know what to do, except turn to someone who will show her love and support. She is also extremely vengeful toward Barbra Jean._

Now on with our story-

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

The next time that Mike saw Reba again was two months later when she walked back into his bar. She was again counting on his promise that he'd always be there for her. Her efforts to save her marriage to Brock had failed. Reba needed the biggest favor of all so she went back home to Oklahoma and walked right back into Mike's life.

Reba walked right into the Holliway bar. Mike was working behind the bar. It was the middle of the day and there weren't any customers in the bar at the moment. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Reba greeted.

"You only have one ex-husband, honey and you're looking at him."

"You are so very wrong. Look, I even have papers." Reba tossed her initial divorce papers on the bar in front of Mike.

"What happened? The last thing I knew you were on your way to save your marriage. Do you want to get a drink and talk about it?"

"Sure. Just a Sprite, okay."

"The lady turned down alcohol. Something must be wrong. Don't tell me you're pregnant." Mike teased.

Reba nodded and bent her head down into her folded arms on the bar.

"I had a one-night stand with my husband and ended up walking away with more than a memory. I am the dumbest woman on the planet. I do this too much. This is the third time that I've found myself pregnant without a husband and scared to death."

"It's gonna be okay, Sweetheart. I'm here for you. You don't have to deal with this by yourself. You can lean on me, you know." Mike poured a whiskey for himself and a Sprite for Reba.

"I'm glad that you said that. I have a favor to ask."

"Anything you need, Sal. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"I need you to let me tell people that the baby is yours." Mike spit out his drink.

"Excuse me. I don't think that I heard you right."

"Brock's mistress has taken my husband, my happiness, my family, my husband's love, and the foundation of my life away. She has the business that I helped Brock to build. She is going to be Mrs. Brock Hart now. She's taken away my identity. She's having his child. She's going to be the stepmother of my children. I have to share my children with this woman. She's got everything. She can't have this. She can't have my baby. This is the one thing that she will never have. I'm not sharing this with them. He doesn't deserve this. I don't care how selfish it sounds. I just want the baby to be mine. It's the only thing that I get to walk away with. I don't even get to walk away with my dignity," Reba explained with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Yes, honey, I can do that. How are you going to explain to people about your condition?"

"I plan to tell them that I got pregnant when I came up here. We had an affair. I got scared and went home to try to save my marriage. We forgot to use protection. Brock should believe it because he and I did use protection. It didn't do me a lot of good though."

"Are you planning on raising the baby by yourself?"

"Yeah, I can do it. I tried to do it before when I was having John and I'm raising three kids now as a single mom."

"Yes, honey. But Brock is involved with the kids, right? It's not the same thing. How will you face him every day? I could raise the baby with you."

"How will that work? I live Texas and you live in Oklahoma, where your kids live."

"We can work it out. I know that we can do this. We love each other and depend on each other, more than anyone else in our lives. You came here for a reason. I'm giving you the chance to have a real partner to share the whole thing with." Mike took Reba's hands and held them tightly.

"Wow. That is really amazing of you. I just don't know what to do," Reba said softly.

The front door to the bar opened again. A big busted blonde walked in.

"Well, well, if it isn't the ghost of sluts past!"

"All I see is a big busted blonde coming to steal my husband from me again. What's the matter? Did you just realize that he only wanted you because he couldn't have me?"

"He married me. He didn't marry you."

"That's where you are wrong. You didn't just break up a wedding. You broke up a marriage. We got married in a private ceremony the night before the wedding that you walked in on. It's your fault that I ended up leaving town pregnant and alone, you tramp. You took the father of my child from me."

"Is she telling the truth, Mike?" Mike nodded.

"What child are you talkin' about?"

"I got pregnant in Las Vegas. Our son, John was born two months premature. He lived for two days and then he died."

The blonde was quiet for a minute while Reba continued.

"You think that you are so special because you got him to marry you. He only married you to keep you from aborting your pregnancy. He married me because he loved me. You kept him for months after your miscarriage. You kept him away from his true wife and child. He came back to me twice because I'm the first choice. You're just the drunken mistake that he made one night."

The blonde started to form tears in her eyes. Reba wasn't about to let up. She had spent too many lonely nights crying because of women like this.

"You're just jealous because I'm the mother of his three sons."

"Like I'd be jealous of you. The only reason why you have those kids is because I sent him back to you. He came to me when he left you. I did the right thing and married Brock. I told him to try to work out his marriage to you."

"Like I'd believe that from you."

"Believe what you'd like. I'd just like to know why you seem to go after every guy that I've ever dated."

"No, I didn't. I can't believe that you'd believe that about me."

"Really. You dated Tommy, Mike, Terry, Parker, and Brock. I believe that is every guy that I ever dated. I can't believe that I ever thought that you were my friend."

"I didn't date Brock, but Lori Ann did."

"Oh, I know that you did, too. I remember the night of my birthday party when Mike first proposed to me. You were there as Brock's date. So, does Mike know that you slept with him and Brock within a month of each other? Whose baby was it anyway? At least I know who the father of each one of my children is. I guess you were lucky that Brock goes for big busted blonde tramps like you."

"You vicious little witch!"

The blonde dove towards Reba and grabbed her by the hair. Reba responded by struggling to get free and trying to punch her attacker.

Mike ran over and tried to pull the two women apart.

"Kim, you've got to let her go. She's pregnant," Mike shouted.

Kim stopped. "You're pregnant? How far along are you?"

"Two months. Even you can do the math."

"We're having the baby and getting married," Mike interjected.

Reba stood there, stunned by Mike's announcement. Mike pulled a box out of his pocket.

"I bought this right after you left two months ago. I was hoping that you'd be back. Lori Ann called me today to let me know that you two would be coming by. I wanted to surprise you." Mike said, as he opened the box to reveal a diamond engagement ring. "I was hoping that you'd want to marry me again. Give me a chance to show you that I can be the kind of husband that you deserve."

Reba stood there, speechless. Finally Lori Ann spoke. "Girl, you better say somethin'. He just proposed to you in front of his other ex-wife. I think that he's serious."

Reba nodded. Mike picked her up and swung her around. "It's going to be happily ever after this time, right?" Reba asked softly.

"Definitely," he answered.

"What a nightmare! You could've talked to me about this first. This is something serious that going to affect our kids for the rest of their lives," Kim shouted to Mike.

"Shut up, Kim! You are ruining this romantic moment. You can yell at him later," Reba responded.

"I can't believe that I have to deal with you for the rest of my life."

"That's right. I'm going to be your children's stepmother." As soon as Kim heard Reba say this, she turned around and left the bar in a huff.

"Reba, that was great!" Lori Ann cheered from behind the camcorder.

"I know, right? I've been waiting eighteen years to do that. It felt great. It makes me want to do the same thing to BJ."

"BJ?" Mike questioned.

"She's Brock's mistress. BJ is short for Barbra Jean. Did you see me? I wish that Brock were here right now so I could punch him. I haven't felt like this since the first time that I punched Brock."

"You punched Brock?"

"I sure did. He made a pass at me the night before we left for Vegas. I punched him in the stomach and then I kneed him in the groin. That was just before you found him throwing up in the bathroom."

"I remember that. I was mad because he made you cry."

"He promised me that he'd never do anything to make me cry again. The moron is one heck of a good liar," Reba remarked.

"Did he really sleep with Kim?" Mike asked.

"You'd have to ask Brock that question. You remember how he used to get around." Reba answered. "I'm not happy about your proposal. That is not the way that I pictured getting proposed to this time."

"I know. I wanted to do it differently. I just got caught up in the moment. Why don't we try it again? I've still got the clothes from Vegas in the closet upstairs in the apartment. Why don't we go up and try them on for old times' sake? I promise to propose better this time."

"Sure. This ought to be interesting," Reba replied.

Mike scooped Reba up over his shoulder and carried her upstairs. Terry appeared as they were headed upstairs. "What's going on?"

"Mike trying to propose to Reba. I'm gonna watch."

"I'll join you. Maybe later we can go somewhere and talk."

"I'll bet you'll do more than just talk," Reba shouted.

Lori Ann laughed.

Inside the apartment, Reba walked out of the bedroom, dressed in the same long white lace and chiffon Charmeuse satin gown with low criss-cross straps and a sheer robe over her shoulders and a white floral hair crown that she wore almost twenty years ago.

"I'm just as terrified and excited as I was back then. This is so ridiculous." Reba remarked.

Mike came out of the bathroom; dressed in the same tight blue jeans, a white button down shirt with the top two buttons unfastened, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. Reba took in the sight of him. She sighed.

"You look as good I remembered," Reba remarked.

"So do you. You're so beautiful."

"Stop staring or I'm gonna take this thing off right now!" Reba said nervously.

Mike got down on one knee. "I didn't do this right before so I'm gonna try to get it right now. Reba Nell McKinney-Hart, will you marry me and be my wife?"

Reba closed her eyes for a minute.

_Reba remembered the memories that poured over her in that moment._

"Yes, Mike. I will marry you. You're my soul mate and my best friend. You waited almost twenty years to marry me. I can't believe that you still love me. Are you sure this time?" Reba answered.

Mike answered by pulling her to him and captured her lips with his.

"Will you two excuse us?" Reba asked Lori Ann and Terry.

"Sure, but I thought that we'd have dinner together to celebrate," Lori Ann responded.

"She said yes. Let's celebrate!" Mike shouted.

"We have a celebration of our own, darling. I've waited forever for us to finally make love." Reba said, kissing him again.

"Honey, it still counts for the other times, even if we were too drunk to remember. It's not exactly our first time."

Reba took off her glasses, tilted her head to the side, and squinted her eyes. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. It was you, wasn't it?"

She captured his lips fiercely. "I should be furious with you," she said after the kiss.

"Welcome home, honey." Mike said with a smirk.

"You seem pretty sure of yourself. You're lucky I'm so sentimental. Have you ever had sex with an ex before?"

"You'd be the first for me, babe."

"Good. That makes us even. I heard that sex with an ex is really hot. Care to test out that theory?" she purred.

"No need to ask me twice. Excuse us, folks. We'll see you later." Mike picked Reba up and carried her bridal style over the threshold of the bedroom doorway. Reba's cell phone began to ring. Lori Ann looked at the caller i.d.

"It's Brock."

"Tell him I can't come to the phone because I'm busy having sex." Reba said with laughter. She kissed Mike on the lips again.

Lori Ann set the camcorder down on the kitchen counter, still facing Reba and Mike; then she answered the call.

"Reba, he says that it's about the kids." Lori Ann said.

Reba groaned and Mike set her back down so she could answer the call.

"The joys of being a blended family," Reba remarked. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."

Reba took the phone and went into the living room to sit down on the couch. All that could be heard was her side of the conversation. "Hello, Brock. What do you want?

I don't know when I'm coming back. I'm having a good time.

You left me as the kids' primary caretaker for most of the past year while you went on with your life, free as a bird. Now it's my turn. You can be there and take care of them just like I have.

You're their father. It's your job to be a parent, too.

You spent time finding yourself during your midlife crisis. I need some time to myself.

I'm in Oklahoma and that's all you need to know.

Jake's had a fever before, just get him into the bathtub and give him some Tylenol.

What's the matter, Brock? Is being a parent interfering with your golf game and drinking with your buddies? I'm so tired of hearing it; maybe it's my turn to have the midlife crisis and your turn to be the supportive parent."

At this point, Mike moved over to the couch. He picked up Reba's foot and began massaging it. Reba moaned.

"What? Yes, you heard right. So what? I'm enjoying a foot massage. We are done, history. I'm free to do whatever I want, with whomever I want. I'm not your wife anymore.

Are you kidding me? You are living with BJ, your pregnant mistress. You're fooling around in your office and around town. I saw you, in your office, two months ago.

I was dumb enough to think that I could fix things with you. I'm not that stupid anymore. I'm free to fool around with anyone I want. If I want to have sex all over Oklahoma, I'm going to.

You're not my husband anymore. The kids are free to call me, if they want to talk to me. I don't want to talk to you unless it's an emergency.

You got it. I'm not talking about this anymore. Deal with being a real father, Brock. I'm going to end this call. I mean it!"

Mike's hands began moving up her legs to her thigh. She moaned again. "Stop it, I'm on the phone. Can't you wait until I get off the phone?" Reba complained to Mike.

Mike's hands began massaging her thigh. She tried to wiggle away from him, but they ended up tumbling down off the couch, with Mike on top of her. Reba laughed. He started kissing her neck. She moaned again.

"I swear that you are the most impatient man on the planet. I'll be off the phone in a minute." Reba's voice went sultry. "If you can let me finish this call, I'll make it worth your while, Mike. I'm promise, baby."

Reba turned her attention to the phone call with Brock once again. "I'm otherwise engaged, so I have to go now. I'm moving on just like you have. If you want to make this a big deal, then I'll just call you and interrupt you when you're in bed with BJ.

I'm not your wife. I'm just the girl that you had to marry a long time ago. I got pregnant and you married me because you thought that it was the right thing to do, just like you're doing now with BJ. I'm just the girl who was stupid enough to confuse sex with love on a beach one night. I won't be making that mistake again. Goodbye, Brock."

Reba hung up the phone. "That was pretty harsh, Reba. Even for Brock. And he deserves some misery," Lori Ann commented.

"Thanks for the support, Lori Ann. As for Brock's misery, BJ will take care of that." Reba turned to Mike. "Although my favorite sport is torturing Brock, I really didn't want to do that to him this soon. I just walked out yesterday without a word. I dropped a note off at Brock's office and then left a note at the house for the kids. He was really worried, I guess. I was a vicious little witch, just like Kim said earlier. It felt good, but I shouldn't have done that to the father of my children. Put yourself in his shoes. What if I just did that to you? How would you feel? I feel really bad about it. I'm not in the mood anymore. Let's just go to dinner with Lori Ann and Terry. I'm sorry, honey. I promise to make it up to you later."

Mike put his arms around Reba. "It's okay, babe. I understand. I even understand where he's coming from. You are technically his wife until the divorce is final. Let's not antagonize him. We need the divorce to go smoothly and quickly so we can get married." He kissed the top of her forehead. "It's going to be okay. It does get easier. Divorce is a very hard thing to go through. We'll just learn to be civil with Brock and Kim for the sake of the kids. Kim and I have worked through this already. It will take time, but you and Brock will learn how to get past the resentment for the kids."

"I'm so lucky. What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You loved me. One day, you put your hand in mine and didn't let go until I pulled away. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

"Please don't ever stop loving me, Jack."

"Like I ever could, Sal."

The next scene came on. Lori Ann's laughter was heard from behind the camera.

"Stop laughing! It's not funny." Reba said.

"Come on, Reba. It's so funny. You got caught making out under the McAlester High bleachers with Mike by his son.

"Mike was wondering what Sam was doing there with his girlfriend anyway."

"I think that Sam brought his girlfriend there to do exactly what he caught the two of you doing. The Holliway men think alike."

"Oh, really. Has Terry ever brought you there to fool around?"

"No, but that is a great idea." Lori Ann laughed again.

"It was not a good way to meet Mike's son for the first time. His father was fooling around with his pregnant girlfriend under the McAlester High bleachers. We didn't have all of our clothes on. It was very embarrassing, but I do understand why Van and Cheyenne are always so touchy-feely everywhere. Mike and I are the same way. He's my first love and so very sexy."

There was a knock on the door. Reba opened the door to find Kim standing there.

"Reba, can I come in. I want to talk to you and clear the air."

"Sure. Mike told me that he wants us to work on being civil to each other for the kids' sake."

"I'm sorry about tonight. Mike and I didn't expect that anyone would be there; let alone Sam and his girlfriend."

"It's okay. I think that Sam and Jenny won't be going there to fool around for awhile. It was great birth control; at least I don't have to worry about becoming a grandmother yet."

"Like I do. My oldest, Cheyenne just announced her pregnancy a couple of weeks ago. She got married ten days ago."

"Oh, wow! Just like your mom."

"Don't forget my grandma, too. And me."

"I meant to ask you about that. I swear that I didn't know that you were pregnant."

"It's okay. I didn't want to use the pregnancy to trap him into leaving you. I wanted him to love me for me. I moved to Ada so I wouldn't have to watch him marry you. There were complications when I was seven months pregnant. The baby was born too early and he didn't survive. You had miscarried. He asked me to marry him while I was in labor. Everything was good until the baby was gone. I took my anger and grief out on him when he was the one person that I should've leaned on for support to help me get through it. Everything happens for a reason. My grief led me to lean on Brock. That friendship led to something else. Before I knew it, I was pregnant with Cheyenne. I got three great kids and you got three great kids. Maybe Mike and I needed to grow up a bit before we could get together and really make it work."

"I really just want Mike to be happy. I promise you that we are just friends now."

"Once upon a time, you were my friend, too. You knew that I liked him. Why'd you take him from me? You knew that I was in love with him since the first time he came back from Texas."

"If you really loved him, you wouldn't have dated Tommy Johnson in the ninth grade."

"I had no idea that Mike would ever come back from Texas permanently. Tommy asked me out. You never said anything about liking him. Nothing happened with him. I swear."

"He told the whole school that you two had sex. How was I supposed to know?"

"How about trusting a friend? I'm not like that. You know that."

"Really? How about all the times that you were fooling around at parties with Mike?"

"But only Mike. I never wanted anyone else like that. I only had one date with Tommy Johnson."

"I did you a favor. Honestly, how long were you going to let him string you along with that just friendship and maybe something more while fooling around crap?"

"Okay. He never took me out on a real date, but he took you out on a date as soon as you batted your eyelashes at him. We were very close, best friends. It would've gone somewhere eventually. But you just had to sleep with him. Suddenly, I'm not the one that he's interested in anymore."

"That's Brock's fault."

"Really?"

"Brock told him that he shouldn't date someone so young and inexperienced. He said that he should be dating someone who wouldn't take the relationship so seriously. And I didn't until that spring when I realized that he really wanted to be with you. We dated on and off for over a year and a half. I fell in love with him. I'm not going to apologize for that."

"You shouldn't. You should've talked to me about most of this first. Our friendship was gone because we didn't talk about some really important stuff."

"You're right. I'm sorry, Reba. It's been really hard being in love with a man who's in love with another woman."

"I know that pain. I was married to Brock."

"Ouch. What happened?"

"I drank too much in my younger days and lost too many brain cells. I made a decision to trust a man who was untrustworthy. He ended up cheating on his wife with his dental hygienist. I used to joke about that twenty years old. The sad part is that I was dumb enough to end up being his wife."

"I think that he really loved you, Reba. Honestly, the guy was crazy about you for so long."

"No way! He and I ended up together very quickly, believe me."

"Seriously. That night at the party when I was on a date with him, he wouldn't stop talking about you. That's when I got really mad. I couldn't figure out how you could get both of them to fall in love with you."

"Brock didn't love me then. We couldn't stand each other. He was a pest. He thought that I wasn't good enough for Mike. I did something to teach him a lesson and that was that."

"What did you do?"

Lori Ann interrupted to answer. "She punched him in the gut and then kneed him in the groin."

Kim laughed. "And he still wanted to marry you after that."

"I figured that he knew better that to mess around with a fiery redheaded wife who could literally take him down. I thought that the marriage was safe enough. I'm not going to ask if you slept with Brock because I don't want to know."

"Reba,…" Kim began. Reba held up her hand. "I really don't want to know any more about it, okay? I'm done with Brock. I really don't care."

"How did ole' Brock turn out? He was really something else back then."

"He's still great to look at, but he ruins that illusion the minute that he opens his mouth."

"You wanna go downstairs and have a drink? Mike will be thrilled that we're getting along."

"Sure. I'm supposed to sing tonight. I've got an idea that will freak Mike out though."

"Really? I'm all ears."

"Come on, I'll explain on the way downstairs."

The next scene came on. Reba was drinking a soda slowly.

"Why do I feel like I'm gonna throw up?"

"Because you're pregnant by the great looking moron with the big mouth." Lori Ann asked from behind the camera.

"Shh! Lori Ann, someone might hear you. I'm sure that it's just nerves. You know what I just realized though. This is the first time that I'm getting on stage to sing here without Brock in the audience. He's always been right out here, sitting right by the bar. I'll get nervous like I am right now and he'll say something to annoy me. We'll get into an argument and I'll forget all about being nervous. This is so surreal."

"Here comes Mike. Go on, pick a fight with him, if you need to."

Mike walked up to where Reba was sitting. "Hi, darlin'. Having fun?"

"I really need a cigarette."

"No, you don't. It's bad for the baby." Mike pulled out a picture from his wallet to show Reba. "Can you look at this picture and tell me that you don't want to do everything that you can to have a healthier pregnancy this time? Look at this face. Do you still want a cigarette when you look at him?"

"How dare you make me feel guilty by holding up a picture of our son! That's a low blow, even for you, Holliway! Why do you have John's picture in your wallet anyway?"

"I've had his picture in my wallet since he was born. Sometimes I pull it out, look at it, and remember us."

Reba swallowed hard to move the lump in her throat. Kim walked up to the pair.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Kim greeted.

"Are you two ready to get along now?" Mike asked.

"Yes, we've agreed to play nice from now on. Right, Reba?" Kim answered.

Reba nodded. Kim looked at the picture.

"Cute kid. Who is it?"

"That's our son, John. Mike keeps the picture in his wallet apparently."

"You've had this in your wallet all this time."

"Yeah, Kim, I have. I didn't think that this was something that you would want to know about."

Kim pulled her wallet out of her pocket. She pulled out a picture of her own.

"He kinda looks like Sam when he was born. See? They both look like Mike."

Reba looked up into Mike's eyes. "I never noticed that before. He does kinda look like you."

"That's because you only see what you want to see, babe."

Kim interrupted this moment. "What do you plan on naming this one?"

"Maggie." They announced in unison.

"That was really weird. How did you know what I wanted to name her?" Reba asked him.

"Because I know you. I remember lots of stuff about you, honey." Mike responded to Reba. He turned toward Kim. "The name is from her favorite soap opera, Another World."

"She had the biggest crush on a guy from that show. I remember. He's the one who played Sandy. He was so dreamy with dark blonde hair and sexy bedroom eyes. He kinda looked like Brock." Kim remarked.

"Funny, real funny. You are so wrong. He didn't look anything like Brock. I think that Mike kinda looks like him." Reba responded.

"Not close enough. Mike's hair is much darker."

"But look at Mike's eyes. It's in the eyes." Reba looked at Mike. "He's got the sexiest eyes that I've ever seen."

"Kim is right, Reba. Sometime we're gonna have to watch an old episode together so I can prove it to you," Lori Ann suggested.

"Fine, but only so I can prove you wrong," Reba responded.

Reba put her hand to her stomach. "Is something wrong, honey?" Mike asked.

"My stomach is doing back flips."

"It's just nerves." Mike put his hand on Reba's abdomen and bent down.

"Hey, kiddo. Take it easy on your mom." Reba put her hand over Mike's and smiled up at him.

The phone rang from behind the bar. Mike went to answer it.

Mike put his hand over the mouthpiece. "It's your dad."

"Oh, boy! I have not been looking forward to this conversation." Reba took the phone from Mike.

"Hi, dad. I'm good.

I just got in today. I'm with Mike at the Holliway's.

Everything is fine. I just felt like visiting. That's all.

That's over, dad. Brock is gone.

There's not much to say. Brock is living with his pregnant mistress.

Yes, the divorce is really happening.

Reba put her hand over the mouthpiece. "He already heard that I'm pregnant, too."

"Yes, dad. I am. Mike and I are really happy about it."

Reba put her hand over the mouthpiece again. "He wants to know what you and I plan to do."

Mike took the phone from Reba. "Hello, sir.

We just found out actually. She came to see me right away.

I really love your daughter and your opinion means a great deal to her.

I would like your permission to date your daughter. I would also like your permission to marry her after her divorce is final.

Sir, we would've been married properly a long time ago if we'd had the support of our family and friends. I should've married her when she got pregnant the first time.

Yes, sir. I do respect her. I have never coerced her into doing anything wrong."

Reba took the phone from Mike.

"Dad, I am a grown woman. I make my own decisions and I have loved him since I was fourteen years old. All we're asking for is your blessing, please.

I plan on going back to Houston in a few days. Yes, I plan on having that conversation with Brock then. Mike and I plan to sit down and have an open and honest conversation with him.

Yes, nothing would make me happier. Thank you."

Reba smiled and handed the phone back to Mike.

"Hello. Yes, I see. I promise. I give you my word. Thank you, sir."

The phone call ended. Mike picked Reba up and swung her around. She laughed.

"Looks like we're gonna have a real wedding. Now all you have to do is talk to Brock," Mike commented.

"I will in a few days. I'm livin' on love right now. I don't want anything to spoil things right now. We're getting married and soon we're gonna have our very own Brady Bunch."

"Cute, real cute. You two are nauseating. I'm just gonna stand over there," Kim remarked.

"Good idea. You wouldn't want to stand here and watch while I make out with your ex-husband. See you later."

Reba smiled and looked into Mike's steel blue-gray eyes.

"Be nice, honey."

"I was being nice. What did you want me to do, invite her to stand there and watch?"

Mike laughed. Reba ran her fingers into his wavy brown locks and pulled him toward her in a kiss.

Terry tapped on Mike's shoulder. "Hey, guys. It's time to get up on stage.

Mike got up on stage. "How're you folks doing tonight? We've got a special treat on stage tonight. Tonight, we are proud to have Reba McKinney-Hart sing for us."

Reba started to walk towards the stage. Terry stops her. "Hey, Reba. Can you sing "So Far Away" for me? I love when you sing that song."

"Sure, Terry."

Reba walked up to the stage slowly, fearfully. Mike held out his hand. Reba gladly accepted his hand and walked across the stage to meet him.

Reba began her set by singing "So Far Away" just for Terry. When the song was over, Mike looked at her and blew her a kiss. She blew one back to him.

_That was always their special signal. She was always nervous and he always showed her how proud he was when she was done. _

The audience applauded. Reba beamed. "Folks, I'm gonna pick up the pace now. I've got a song to sing to my special guy." She started to sing "Can't Fight the Moonlight", an upbeat LeAnn Rimes tune. She started working the stage, moving to the music, and launching her powerful voice into the microphone. She kept her eyes on Mike as often as possible. Every few minutes, their eyes locked. She was up on the stage, but was really singing especially for him. What she did next completely shocked him.

"Folks, I have a special surprise for you. Please help me welcome Kim Campbell up on stage. We're gonna sing a duet for y'all. Mike, honey, we want you right here sitting in this chair in the middle." Reba remarked.

Reba and Kim each had microphones and started facing away from each other, with their backs to Mike in the chair between them. Kim turned to face Reba and Mike and she began singing.

**Kim:  
I've known about you for a while now  
When he leaves me he wears a smile now  
As soon as he's away from me  
In your arms is where he wants to be  
**

Reba turned towards Kim and Mike.

**Reba:  
But you're the one he rushes home to  
You're the one he gave his name to  
I'll never see his face in the early morning light  
You have his mornings, his daytimes  
And sometimes I have his nights  
**

Reba and Kim are facing each other. Mike is sitting there, speechless.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me  
**

Reba sings to Mike.

**Reba:  
But when he's with me  
He says he needs me  
And that he wants me  
That he believes in me  
**

Kim sings to Mike.

**Kim:  
And when I'm in his arms  
Oh he swears there's no one else  
Is he deceiving me  
Or am I deceiving myself  
(Am I deceiving myself)  
**

Reba and Kim each put a hand on Mike's shoulders.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me  
**  
**Kim:  
Oh and shouldn't I lose my temper?**

Reba:  
Oh and shouldn't I be ashamed?

Kim:  
'Cuz I have everything to lose

Reba:  
And I, I have nothing to gain  
  
Kim and Reba each take turns sliding Mike's face towards each of them as they sing their part like they really are fighting over him.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me  
**

Reba holds Mike's gaze as she sings the final part.

**Reba:  
Oh does he love you**

The song ends and Reba starts speaking to Mike in front of the crowd.

"So, honey, what's it gonna be- the blonde or the redhead?"

The crowd laughed.

"What do you think, folks? I know a challenge when I see one. I can't wait to tame the fiery temptress in front of me."

"Would that be because I'm pregnant and my daddy owns a shotgun?" The crowd roared with laughter.

Mike bows to Reba and kisses her hand before leading Kim off the stage.

Her last song was "I'm a Survivor". At the end of the song, the audience cheered and Mike jumped up on stage with Reba.

"Isn't she great, folks? I'm proud to say that this is not a one-night only appearance for Miss Reba. She'll be a regular on this stage before too long. You see, this wonderful woman has finally agreed to marry me after all these years."

Mike bent down and swiftly captured Reba's lips in a kiss. She got caught up in the kiss and deepened it. Their lips parted and she smiled a sweet, shy smile.

_She forgot for a minute that they were on stage in front of an audience. She got swept away in the kiss and in their own little world. Then she remembered how public their kiss was._

"We're gonna sing a song together for y'all now," Reba responded.

Reba and Mike sang "The Heart Won't Lie". Reba initiated the kiss at the end of the song this time. She let the kiss linger for just a minute longer when she pulled away.

"Darlin', if you will kindly sit down. I've got a song to sing to you. This song is called Closer To You." Reba sat in the chair on the stage. Mike played his guitar and sang into a microphone. He was positioned to face the audience and Reba. Reba's eyes stayed on Mike as he sang the song.

**This curtain blowin' on a river breeze **

**Slips across the bed and it rustles the sheets**

**Seems everything I do**

**Just reminds me of you**

**Smell of the mornin' in the rainy land**

**Touch of satin across my hand**

**Just makes me wish I, **

**Wish I could be**

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Wrapped in your lovin' arms**

**Holding you tight**

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby, **

**Baby **

**Deep in the night**

**If I said that I loved you **

**Would you turn away**

'**Fraid of what you think you supposed to say**

**Well that's alright, baby**

'**Cause I already know**

**I can see it in your eyes**

**I can hear it in your voice**

**Believe me, baby**

**We've got no choice**

**Come here, come here**

**Come here to me**

**Got to be **

**Closer to you **

**Closer to you**

**Wrapped in your lovin' arms**

**Holding you tight**

**Wanna be**

**Closer to you **

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby, **

**Baby **

**Deep in the night**

**Wanna be **

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby**

**Closer to you**

At the end of the song, Mike mouthed the words, I love you to Reba. Reba blew him a kiss and walked off stage.

"Well, folks, we're gonna pick up the pace a bit."

Mike performed "Gimme All Your Lovin'" with the band. Reba was moving to the music with the crowd.

Mike announced the next song. "Now we're gonna slow things down again. So grab a partner for a slow dance. This song is called If You Don't Know By Now."

"Reba, can I have this dance?"

"Sure, Terry. It's been awhile. I'll dance with you as long as you don't mind dancing with my two left feet. I'm a bit rusty. I haven't danced much in the last fifteen years or so." Terry smiled at her.

Reba put her left hand on Terry's right shoulder. Terry held her at arm's length. He was careful not to hold her too close. He held his left hand in her right hand to the side. They slowly started to move.

**If you don't know by now  
I'll never get through  
With all of my vows  
You still haven't a clue  
Of how much I love you  
But it's useless to say  
If you don't know by now  
Then let's go our own way**

I don't want to lose you  
I guess you never were mine  
So there's no use pretending  
**You fall in love down the line ******

**'Cause if you don't know by now****  
I'll never get through  
With all of my vows  
You still haven't a clue  
Of how much I love you  
But it's useless to say  
If you don't know by now  
Then I won't try again**

The song ended and Mike let another singer in the band take over the vocals.

"Hey, Terry! Do you mind if I dance with my girl?"

"Sure. If I can get Lori Ann to put the camera down, then I just might be able to persuade her to dance with me."

Reba gave Mike a dirty look. "Your girl?"

"What? Would you prefer it if I called you my woman?"

"I can't believe it. You're jealous of Terry. Mike, honestly, I have never been interested in Terry ever."

"You looked pretty interested in him when you were dating him? Just why did you do that anyway? To dig the knife in a little deeper?"

"I think that you need to remember who dumped who in Vegas."

"I think that you need to remember who dumped who in Ada."

"You have no reason to be jealous. There is a very simple explanation for this whole thing. If you'll come upstairs with me, then Terry, Lori Ann, and I will explain it to you. Okay?"

**Thanks for the reviews! They make me smile!**

I want to express my thanks to the following reviewers who have given me valuable feedback.

**Teambrarllover**

**Blaze Of Destruction**

**jennyleigh3reba**

**rnmrox**

leesy96

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**KayMcEntire**

**ScarlettLovesRhett**


	10. Calling Reba

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. I also do not owe any rights to the movie, Risky Business.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- "I can't believe it. You're jealous of Terry. Mike, honestly, I have never been interested in Terry ever."

"You looked pretty interested in him when you were dating him? Just why did you do that anyway? To dig the knife in a little deeper?"

"I think that you need to remember who dumped who in Vegas."

"I think that you need to remember who dumped who in Ada."

"You have no reason to be jealous. There is a very simple explanation for this whole thing. If you'll come upstairs with me, then Terry, Lori Ann, and I will explain it to you. Okay?"

_Author's note-The story picks up from the first season of Reba. Brock has announced that he's going to marry Barbra Jean because she is pregnant with his child. Cheyenne's pregnancy has been revealed. Cheyenne and Van were married just like in the pilot episode. There's just one big problem that Reba has to face so she's going back to get Mike's help. Reba feels humiliated and alone. She doesn't know what to do, except turn to someone who will show her love and support. She is also extremely vengeful toward Brock and Barbra Jean._

Now on with our story-

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Reba dragged Mike upstairs to explain about her past with Terry. What else could she do? They'd gotten to the point of losing each other over and over again. The stakes for both of them were too high. Reba didn't want to be alone without Mike and Mike didn't want to live without her anymore. She hung on to Mike's love like a lifeline.

"I don't want to fight with you. I just need you to sit down and listen to me," Reba began.

"I know. This is not how I thought tonight would turn out. I'm sorry that I'm jealous, but it's hard," Mike responded.

"Let me explain, please. My first date with Terry was prom night. If you remember, I couldn't get a prom date. My cousin took me to the junior prom. I had no date to the senior prom. My parents had gone out of town and asked Terry to look after me. He didn't have a date to prom either so we decided to go together. You were going to prom with Kim. After prom, I tried to ditch him to meet you. That didn't work out like I'd hoped. I ended up at home alone. Terry ended up spending the night with Lori Ann. You ended up spending the night with Kim."

"Is that true? You ended up with Lori Ann that night. Why'd you stop me from being with Reba?"

"I'd hoped to be with Reba. I knew that if you weren't around, then maybe I'd have a chance. None of that made a difference. There wasn't anyone else she wanted but you. When I realized that, I left. I ended up at the party with Lori Ann," Terry explained.

"Lori Ann and I had a deal anyway. We don't fight over guys ever. If one of us sleeps with a man, that man is off limits to the other. Terry, I've never had any romantic feelings for you whatsoever, especially not since the night of the first party you guys held at your place when you moved back to town. I couldn't ever have feelings for you after Mike and I ended up together," Reba stated.

"That would've been helpful information a long time ago," Terry responded.

"We weren't close friends like that. Mike rejected me and I never told you why it hurt me so bad. The thing is that you never had a chance with me after the party, but being with Lori Ann sealed the deal. Anyway, Mike and I continued to go back and forth on the relationship until Vegas. We got married the night before in a private ceremony. That you didn't know. I got publicly dumped and very drunk later in the evening. We spent one last night together. I got pregnant. He didn't want Kim to abort her pregnancy so that left me alone. I left town so I could build a new life. I didn't even want him to know where I was. The pregnancy had problems. I got very sick. Mike came and proposed. The baby came early. He was born sick and he died two days later. Instead of dealing with it with Mike, I chose to run away from the entire situation. I told him to go back to Kim. That was a mistake. My next mistake was dragging you into my mess. By the time that I decided I wanted Mike back, I didn't know how to do it. I tried making him jealous by dating Parker. That didn't work so I went to you. That's when we made our deal," Reba explained to Terry.

"What deal?" Mike asked.

"That's what I'm trying to explain to you. I didn't make a deal with Parker, but I was using him to make you jealous. That didn't seem to work so I started talking to Terry about my problem. He knew that I wanted you back. He said that he'd help. We'd pretend to date for awhile. That was supposed to be enough to work. The whole thing was staged for you. It wasn't a real relationship. You didn't budge. I was very depressed at this point. Brock and I had been friends for awhile. One thing led to another. I didn't plan for that to happen. That part was real, which I am sorry about by the way. That worked a little bit too late. If I'd known that you'd be jealous over Brock, believe me, I would've struck a deal with him. It would've saved all of us a lot of heartache in the long run. If I'd known that you'd want to get back together, I can promise you that I would've never let things go that far with Brock. I was lonely and scared of spending the rest of my life without you. I was also still grieving over the baby. I didn't plan to get pregnant, but it helped me get past losing our baby. I can't tell you how sorry I am to both of you," Reba explained further.

"That's not all. You had a right to be jealous. The deal became real for me. I fell in love with her, but she figured that out and that's when she turned to Brock. By this time, I figured out that she would never want to be with me. That's when I urged you to think about your feelings for Reba. I didn't want to keep you apart anymore. She really loved you and she really was heartbroken," Terry explained to Mike.

"Gosh, Terry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought that we were just friends. I never thought that either of us would cross the line. When you did, I panicked. I'm sorry. Mike was gone. I figured that I had to accept that and move on. I'm really happy that you ended up with Lori Ann," Reba said to Terry.

"So the dating and partying was just an act?" Mike asked Reba.

"Mostly, but it was also a way to try to forget and move on, if you didn't come back to me."

"I knew everything all along. I'd hoped that she'd get you back, but she ended up with Brock," Lori Ann added with emphasis.

"What's wrong with that? Did I suddenly make you jealous or something? I know that you wanted him in Vegas." Reba turned to Lori Ann.

"Reba, the man is a complete moron. We dated, but he didn't really want me. I figured that out quickly. He used me to get over someone else."

Reba's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I mean, I know he's a moron. I didn't know that he used you like that. I didn't think that he'd do anything like that to you and then try to date me."

"I didn't want you to know. I was friends with Brock for awhile. I got over it pretty quickly. I planned on talking to you about it someday and having a real good laugh about it. I stopped being his friend when he started being a moron again and hurt you."

"Yeah, he's very good at fooling women. It's funny that I'm not quite a bitter about it as you are."

"We'll talk about that some other time, okay?'

"Sure, anytime."

"Does that clear things up for you, honey?"

"Okay, but I still get to be a little jealous of Brock."

"Why? We're not together anymore. No sparks, nothing. He's getting married to someone else."

"You're still his wife right now. You've been his wife for the last seventeen years. It's hard, but I'll stop being jealous once we're married."

"You got a deal. I love you, Jack."

"I've always loved you, Sal." Mike planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

Reba yawned. "Can we go to bed now?" she asked. She turned to walk to their bedroom.

"Sure. I'll be there soon. Just relax and you'll get a good night's sleep."

"Jack, are you forgetting something? How quickly do men forget?" Reba turned back to face him. When he didn't get the message, she pulled on his shirt. "I said that I wanted us to go to bed. I never said anything about sleep. Don't you remember?"

Mike smirked. "A momentary lapse in memory, darlin'. Won't happen again."

"It better not. I thought that you'd forgotten."

"Baby, I remember everything about us."

"Good answer."

Mike's telephone began to ring. Lori Ann answered the phone.

"It's Kim. She says that it's urgent."

Reba groaned. "This just keeps happening. Go on, take the call. Don't keep Blondie waiting." She gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Be nice or I'll start calling your ex names, too."

"Like I care. It's not my fault that you married someone who resembles a Barbie doll."

"Well, you married a guy who looks like a Ken doll."

Reba laughed. "I can't argue with that."

Mike gets on the phone with Kim.

His face fell. "I'll be right there." Mike put the phone down.

"Josh fell. He missed a step on the stairs and fell straight down the stairs. He hit his head and he's complaining that his leg hurts. Kim is rushing him to the ER right now."

_Author's note-Josh is one of Mike and Kim's sons. He is the same age as Jake was in season one._

"Don't worry. I'll drive you there," Terry offered.

"It's going to be okay. The doctors will check him out. He'll have you and Kim there. He'll be okay," Reba soothed. She hugged him and rubbed his back.

"You stay here and get some rest. Stress can't be good for the baby. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Reba nodded. Mike and Terry left the apartment quickly.

The next scene came on. Reba was freshly showered and had changed clothes. She was dressed in one of Mike's dress shirts, a tie, and socks. When Lori Ann saw her, she laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"What's with the outfit?"

"I saw it in a movie once. I'm trying to look sexy for Mike when he gets home. Besides, when I slide, I look like Tom Cruise in Risky Business. Watch this!"

Reba slid across the kitchen floor in her socks. Lori Ann laughed again.

Reba opened the refrigerator and started setting food on the counter.

"Whatcha doin' now?" Lori Ann asked.

"I'm pregnant and hungry. I'm also making a sandwich for Mike when he gets home to save for him in the fridge. Do you want one?"

"Sure. Why are you making him a sandwich now?"

"I might be asleep when he gets back. I want to make sure that he gets something to eat when he gets back. I did learn some things from being married to Brock, you know."

"Like what? How to play golf or how to get a good tan?"

"No. Brock told me that there are three things that are important to a man: a sexy woman, a sandwich, and a sexy woman making him a sandwich."

"You should put that in the marriage guide."

"Seventeen years of marriage and that's about all that I've learned that I can add to the guide." Reba shook her head. "At least, I've achieved all three things for Mike tonight. Plus, check this out." Reba went into the bedroom and came out quickly, wearing a blonde wig.

"I can be anything he wants me to be. I have a brunette wig, too. I can be many women for my husband."

Lori Ann laughed. "You look funny as a blonde. Take that thing off. You'll lose brain cells."

"I don't know. I think that I kinda look like Cheyenne. Don't I?"

Lori Ann nodded. "Maybe a little, but that girl gets her looks mainly from Brock."

"Do you think that Maggie will be blonde?"

"I don't know. Are you worried that she's look like Brock?"

"Nah. If she looks like Cheyenne, Kyra, or Jake, I can say that she gets it from me. They're my kids, too. Besides, Brock looks good. We've made some beautiful children together so far."

"Do I need to remind you what a moron he is?"

"I guess so. I needed to remind myself of that quite a bit over the last two weeks. You know I almost told him everything. I wanted to. We were sitting there in therapy and I begged him to come home. He just looks at me and tells me that he can't because he has to marry his pregnant girlfriend, Barbra Jean. He tells me this right in front of the kids. I felt like a fool. I decided not to say anything after that. I thought that I was caught for sure when Jake found my pregnancy test in the trash can. He brought it up in front of Brock. Cheyenne thought that it was hers. That's when I found out how bad things were for us. On Cheyenne's wedding day, he came in and held me. I wanted to tell him so bad. I just started crying and he just kept holding me. Then that blonde bimbo came in. He brought "Her" to our daughter's wedding. She was even in the family picture that was taken. That was the worst day of my life. I was hormonal, emotional, and tired. The kids were fighting. I broke down and screamed at him. I cried and ran upstairs. I held it together later for the kids, but I started to figure out what to do. He has pictures of the two of them in his office. He keeps bringing her over to my house. I'm done. Once I'd had enough, I just decided to run as fast and as far as I could away from that man. I can't believe that I was willing to forgive the affair and take him back. Do you think that I'm making a mistake in taking Mike back? He's a cheating ex, too."

"Reba, Mike would crawl on his knees, begging for your forgiveness. It isn't cheating if he made the mistake while you were not together. Just like the little mistake you made in Vegas."

"I didn't make a mistake in Vegas."

"So it's good that you had a one night stand with a complete stranger?"

"No, that's not it. I figured it out. Everything is out in the open now. It's kinda neat how it turned out."

"You know about that?"

"Yeah, I think that it's sweet. He does love me. He was just as confused and scared as I was back then. I'm just happy that John was conceived in love. I always hated the thought of it being something so cheap and wrong."

"Reba, look at me. You are losing focus. You need to keep repeating this to yourself. Brock is a moron. I do not love him anymore."

"Why are you bringin' up Brock to me again? I was talking about Mike."

"What? Now I'm confused."

"Mike was the one I ended up with in Vegas. I know that now. I figured it out. The whole thing was too simple not to figure out. I know him very well. I just forgot that in a drunken haze."

"Wow! Really? You think that Mike's the one you ended up with in Vegas? Good for you. Good for you both. I'm really happy for you, Reba. Believe me; it could've ended up a lot worse for you."

"I know, but this is not working well right now. I just keep thinking about Brock. I need serious help."

"Okay. I've got a videotape for you that I've made. I was worried about this happening. I got video proof that Brock is a moron and not the man for you."

_Reba and Lori Ann begin watching the videotape. The videotape contains the scenes of Reba's 18__th__ birthday, Reba and Mike's engagement party including Reba's prank on Brock, Reba's pictures for Mike, Reba and Mike's vows, John's birth, Reba's party before she married Brock, and Reba's meeting with Mike two months ago._

"Do you see now?"

"You've got yourself a good man right now who loves you. He knows that he screwed up before. He's not gonna do it again. He doesn't want to lose you. He's been patiently waiting for you to get rid of the moron."

"I know. It was so much fun tonight. I love being up on stage singing with Mike."

"And you get to do that all the time now."

"How do I go back to Houston? How am I gonna face Brock?"

"Hold on to the anger, Reba. Remember that. Mike will be with you in Houston right after you tell Brock."

"How do I tell Brock that a beautiful night in our marriage meant nothing? How do I turn something beautiful into a lie? I've got a valid reminder of our love right here." Reba puts her hand to her abdomen.

"How do you look at your other children without thinking of Brock?"

"That's easy. What he's done has hurt the kids so much."

"Your job is to protect Maggie from the pain. She needs you to do what's best for her. What is best for her?"

"Being born into a loving family without custody battles and divided loyalties. She doesn't deserve to know that her mother got treated like a one night stand. He didn't call me or talk to me for two days after. We haven't ever talked about that night since. She deserves better than to have a father who didn't want to stick around."

"Good, now you're on the right track. How do you feel now?"

"I want to take him down the same way I did eighteen years ago."

"Good. Just keep focusing on that."

Reba starts getting ingredients out of the cabinets.

"What are you doing now?"

"Making cookies."

"Good lord, you're goin' Stepford on Mike now."

"No, I'm not. I'm just making him some cookies for when he gets home. My grandma always said that the key to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"That's not exactly true."

"Yes, it is. Believe me, if Cheyenne offered Van fresh baked cookies and sex, he'd be the happiest guy on earth. I think that how I ended up being a grandmother. It's my fault for keeping fresh baked cookies in the house."

Lori Ann laughed.

While the scene continued, Reba was reminded of the memories of that night also.

_Her cell phone rang, bringing her out of a deep slumber. She picked up the phone and answered it without looking at it. "Hello," she answered groggily. _

"_Hi there, honey. I really wanted to talk to you. Did I wake you?"_

"_Yes, but that's okay. I've been waiting to hear from you. Is everything okay?"_

"_Yes. Things are doing better."_

"_Is she there with you? Is Blondie there right now?"_

"_No, honey. I'm all alone."_

"_Good. I know that I promised to be nice, but it's gonna take me awhile to stop being bitter. That woman wrecked my marriage. It's not easy."_

"_I know. Are you doing okay?"_

"_Yeah. I had fun tonight."_

"_What was the best part of the evening?"_

"_It was amazing to get up on stage again. I haven't sung like that in years."_

"_I know. I always loved to hear you sing."_

"_I told Lori Ann about Vegas. I figured that we should be honest about the whole thing. She seemed surprised. I guess she should've been. I never had any indication from your reactions earlier that day that we'd end up in bed together later that night. Just to let you know I'm really happy that it was you. It makes it so much more special to me."_

"_Really? I figured that you didn't want to talk about it ever. You never mentioned the baby at all."_

"_That's what's so great about being here. I feel like the old me. I'm working things out. I don't have any reason to let the past haunt me anymore. I want to talk about the baby again. Speaking of kids, did you get a chance to check on the other kids?"_

"_They're in bed sound asleep. Being a father is important to me, you know."_

"_I know that. Is the little guy okay now?"_

"_He's doing a little bit better. I have everything under control. Don't worry about a thing."_

"_That's a relief. I went to bed, worrying about that tonight. I miss you."_

"_I miss you too, honey. You have no idea how much."_

"_I hate it when we argue. We've wasted too much time already to let stuff like that get between us."_

"_I agree. What are we gonna do about that?"_

"_I like the sexy thing that you're doing with your voice."_

"_Really? What do you like about it?"_

"_I can't quite describe it. It's just turning me on. I also love being sung to, you know."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yep, it works as an aphrodisiac for me. I'm a sucker for a man with a guitar. You'll have to sing to me in the privacy of our bedroom sometime."_

"_I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Why are we just now having this conversation?"_

"_I don't know. This seems like the right time. You're my best friend. I don't want to lose you again. You said that we'd work on things so I'm trying to communicate with you more. I can't keep my heart locked up forever to keep from getting hurt. I'd miss a lot of good stuff, too."_

"_I wanted to tell you that I thought about what you said to me earlier. You're a wonderful mother and I want to do more to help you with the kids. It's not fair for you to have to take on so much. I want to be involved and work on parenting together. You shouldn't come back to Houston until you're ready. No pressure here. I really do love you, you know. I don't think that you really believe that and I can see why. I do see things from your perspective. I've made mistakes, but that didn't stop me from loving you and wanting to be with you. I tried telling you two months ago."_

"_I know. The message was clear. I was in a really difficult situation and very confused. I was scared of committing to something else when I clearly couldn't give you what you needed. I've just blown through two marriages at this point. I've lost two men to pregnant blonde bimbos. It doesn't feel good. I'm scared that the next time I get to say those important vows, I'm gonna get hurt again."_

"_You shouldn't feel that way. You didn't do anything wrong. I did. You tried as hard as you could to keep us together. I messed up. I'm so sorry. I've been wondering how in the world I could get you to take me back after everything that's happened."_

"_That part is easy. Love makes it easier than you think. We've hurt each other a lot; but if we can get past that, we'll be okay."_

"_I still see you as my wife, you know. I always wanted to marry you. I've felt that way since the first time that I asked you to marry me. It's not old-fashioned for me to want to marry the mother of my child because I'm in love with you. It's always been about love for me."_

"_I believe that I've found the magic formula to keeping you happy. I told Lori Ann about it and she laughed at me."_

"_That sounds like Lori Ann. So what's this magic formula?"_

"_The one thing that I learned from my ex is that there are three things that are important to a man: a sexy woman, a sandwich, and a sexy woman making him a sandwich."_

_He chuckled. "That sounds about right."_

"_I'm doing my best here. I just want you to be happy. I even put it in the guide. Lori Ann and I were baking cookies and I told her that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It's true."_

_He chuckled again. _

"_You've got to stop doing that with your voice. You really working that Texas drawl, aren't you? It's been too long."_

"_Well, I like your Okie twang, too. You've always had a sexy voice."_

"_How much do you miss me?"_

"_Very much. I'd show you how much, but I'm not there with you."_

"_So come home already. It feels like I've been waiting forever for you to come home. I could dress in something sexy and greet you home properly. Maybe we could have a candlelight dinner, if we could get the place to ourselves."_

"_You want me to come back home?"_

"_Definitely! You've been gone too long. I really miss you, honey." Reba's voice changed to a more sultry tone. "I've been frustrated all night. I was thinking about how it used to be for us before. I've missed singing to you and seeing your face every day. I've been really lonely. I don't want to be lonely anymore. I want you to wrap your arms around me and hold me. I want to feel your touch on my skin. I love kissing you. When you're not around, it feels like a part of me is missing."_

"_I guess I didn't realize that you still felt that way. I just didn't know you felt so strongly about me. I want the same thing, honey. I just didn't realize how much I missed you until you kissed me again. I just haven't known what to do or say. Just when I figured out that things were really over, you came back to me. You have no idea how much that means to me."_

"_I'm lying here dreaming about satin sheets, rose petals, tequila, Passion Margaritas, slow dances, black lingerie, your strong arms wrapped around me, the way that my fingers feel running through your hair, your bedroom eyes, fiery kisses, and wild passion."_

"_Is that what brought you back to me two months ago?"_

"_Sure. Being with you again would be like a dream come true. Since we've technically been married twice already, do you think that third time is the charm?"_

"_Sure thing, honey. Do you really want to marry me again?"_

"_Yeah, I thought that I made that pretty clear. I've got the papers. A wedding should be in our future."_

"_How about we forget about those papers?"_

"_Sure. No more talking about the divorce papers. We'll can take things slow and see where things go. I just really thought that you wanted me to be married to you."_

"_I do, honey. Believe me, I do. This is a strange conversation. We never talk like this."_

"_So who's the better girlfriend, me or the blonde?"_

"_You. Why? Do you want to be my girlfriend? I thought that you wanted to be my wife."_

"_I thought that we'd date until we finally get married again. Why? What do you want to call me?"_

"_I call you anything that you want to be called, honey."_

"_I like it when you call me honey. It sounds so good to me."_

"_I can remember a time when you hated it when I called you honey."_

"_If you're not going to be honest and upfront with me, then I always get mad at ya. You tried to chicken out on being with me forever."_

"_It wasn't like that."_

"_Then what was it like? Sorry, honey. She's pregnant and I have to marry her. You vowed for better or for worse, and when things got rough, you wanted out. All you had to do was talk to me. You never even asked me how I felt or tried to work things out with me so we could face it together. I was ready to accept the situation and deal with it, but you didn't want to know that. After that, I think that I've earned another wedding where you prove to me that this time will be forever."_

"_That doesn't seem like such an unreasonable request to me. I would love to prove to you exactly how much I love you by exchanging vows in front of the kids and our families."_

"_But we've got to be equal partners. I'm strong willed and you're stubborn. We've got to agree to do everything 50/50 this time. We've got to talk, laugh, and spend time together. We've got to have nights out without the kids. I want to dance with you every night before we go to bed. I want to wake up in your arms every morning for the rest of our lives. I want us to fool around while making breakfast in the kitchen, fall asleep watching movies on the couch, and maybe even make love in every room of our home. We've got to share fantasies and stuff."_

"_Fantasies, huh?"_

"_We've got to keep things exciting. We could fool around on the desk in your office or we could try the one where you pretend that we're strangers and you try to pick me up. You take me home and have your way with me. If you are so attracted to blondes, then I can wear my blonde wig for you. It'll be like you're cheating on me with me."_

_He chuckled again. "You want me to have my way with you? When did you go out and buy a blonde wig?"_

"_Don't laugh. I have a brunette wig, too. I bought them twenty years ago when you made that dirty little comment."_

"_What comment?"_

"_You said that you'd barely begun to sow your wild oats before settling down with me. You'd wondered how I would look as a blonde and a brunette. It got me thinking. I figured that our married life wouldn't be so boring for you if you got to indulge your fantasies a bit with me. I'd like to try the one where I'm dressed in nothing but your old football jersey and laid out on the bed like a Playmate. I'd let you take pictures of me and then ravish me on the bed or the floor or both."_

"_Where have you been all my life?"_

"_Waitin' for you to wake up. You've had the key to happiness all along. All you had to do was reach out for it. I've been waitin' for you to want to be with me again, really be with me. Connect with me like the soul mates that we were meant to be. We have a second chance now. Let's not blow it this time."_

"_I know, honey, I know. If you really take me back, I'll promise you all of that and more."_

"_I'm glad. If you're good, I have plans for you when I see you again. I wanna grab you, throw you up against the wall, and make love with you right there with fierce, passionate intensity. I wanna see that look in your eyes that you had the night we first made love. You had that look in your eyes the last time we slept together, too. I've missed seein' that look in your eyes."_

"_Honey, you're the sexiest woman that I've ever met. Wanna come home with me, tonight?" _

"_Ohh, now you're getting' into it. Can you picture me on top of the bar singin' and dancin' for you? I could handcuff you to a chair and do a sexy striptease for you or you could strip for me. I could always undress you, but remember you don't get to touch me until I say so. I know that you'd like that."_

"_Honey, you have no idea how badly I want you right now."_

"_Are you sure? I'm gonna be a grandmother. Are you still gonna want me when I'm somebody's grandmother?"_

"_Well, you're not my grandmother. Believe me; I'll still want you when we're old and gray."_

"_We're getting old. Just ask one of your kids. We're almost in our forties."_

"_We're barely gettin' started. Besides you'll always look twenty to me."_

"_Good answer. You're lucky that you're not here 'cause I'd rip the shirt right off ya." The phone on the nightstand began to ring. "Hold on, a sec. I have to answer this. I'll be right back." Reba answered it._

"_Hey, darlin'. Did I wake you?"_

"_Who is this?"_

"_Honey, are you okay? It's me. Sal, I'll come home right now if something is wrong. Is everything okay with the baby?"_

_Reba froze. She looked at the phone in her hand. Who was on her cell phone? It's not Mike on the cell phone. Mike is on the other phone._

"_I'm fine now. I just had a really strange dream. Is everything okay with your son?"_

"_Yeah. We're just about done here in the ER. Josh doesn't have a concussion, just a headache. His leg is broken and it'll be in a cast for the next six weeks or so. I'll be home soon. Do you wanna go back to sleep?"_

"_Yeah, I think I need to get some more sleep. Goodnight, Jack. I'll see you in the morning."_

"_Bye, babe. You get back to sleep and in the morning, you'll wake up with my arms around you. 'Night."_

"_That sounds perfect. 'Night." Reba put the phone back down on the nightstand. She moved slowly back to the call on the cell phone._

"_Hi. I'm back. Okay, who is this because I know that this has to be some kind of joke? It's not funny. Terry, I swear, if you think that you can sweet talk me, you've got another thing comin'. You're dating Lori Ann, you moron. She's not gonna find this funny either. You can't be comin' on to me while you're sleeping with my best friend. I'm taken and spoken for, so that's that. I thought that we'd cleared this up before. I wouldn't have danced with you tonight if I'd known that you'd pull somethin' like this on me. Prank calls are so stupid, you moron. You better not be serious, Terry. 'Cause I'll take you down. I'll punch you in the gut and knee you in the groin. You know that I can do it."_

"_Slow down, Reba. This is not Terry, okay?"_

"_Is this your idea of a joke? I didn't do anything to deserve this. You woke me up out of a dead sleep. It's three o'clock in the morning. Who in the world would call someone at this hour to have this type of conversation?"_

"_Reba, honey, I didn't start this type of conversation. You did. This was a friendly call to see how you were doing and to set your mind at ease. Before you start jumping to conclusions again, I suggest that you look at your caller i.d. Honey, I didn't call to fight with you, honest."_

_Reba took her cell phone away from her ear. She looked at the name on caller i.d. It read Home. Reba's hand flew to her mouth. "Brock, wow, what are you doin' at the house?"_

"_Honey, you didn't leave me much of a choice. I got a note and then you left. There were four kids in the house to take care of. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to take care of a sick little boy, an angry preteen, and two married teenagers who can't keep their hands off each other."_

"_Brock, I do it every day. That is my day-to-day life. I cook, clean, and manage that household. Remember?"_

"_I meant it when I said that I wanted to help out more. You don't have to do it all alone, Reba. I'm here for you. They're my kids, too. And I wanna reassure you that Barbra Jean has not been in this house since you left. I am here alone taking care of the kids on my own."_

"_Thank you. I appreciate you telling me that. I don't want that woman in my house, taking over my life."_

"_So you got up on stage and sang tonight, huh? How was it?"_

"_It was amazing. I even got up on stage and sang with Kim. You should've seen it. It was hilarious. Kim and I had an interesting conversation today. I've stopped calling her a tramp and she's stopped calling me a slut. I still call her Blondie, though. It's not like we're good friends all of a sudden or anything. We're learning how to be civil to each other, but not before she attacked me. It was great. I was throwing punches like Cheyenne. All Kim could do was pull my hair. Well, what's left of my short hair now. I made her cry. I felt like I'd gotten the anger out of my system. We talked later after Mike pulled us apart. When I sang tonight, everyone cheered and it felt so great! I even joked around with Mike on stage and everyone thought it was really funny. It was just like old times."_

"_I wish that I'd been there. That would've been somethin' to see you fightin' with Kim."_

"_I know, right? I felt better today than I've felt in eighteen years. It was really freeing. I went by McAlester High. I got to sing and dance. I saw people that I haven't seen in years. It was so much fun. I gotta come back more often. I can see the attraction of having a midlife crisis. It would be great to just have fun and think about myself for a little while."_

"_I know. That's why I said that you shouldn't come back to Houston until you are ready. I am ready to share the load of responsibility with you. I really meant that. Are we gonna talk about the rest of the conversation?"_

"_I don't know if you really want to do that. It's not gonna be any more comfortable talkin' things out now, then it was during the couples' therapy sessions that you ducked out on."_

"_So where are you staying tonight?"_

"_You shouldn't ask questions if you don't wanna know the answers. You're takin' this path at your own risk. I'm staying at the apartment."_

"_The apartment? Mike's apartment? The one over Holliway's"_

"_We've been over this several times. It's my apartment. Mike gave it to me when we split."_

"_I still can't figure out why he did that."_

"_Someday when we have the time, I'll explain it to ya. In any case, it appears that I still have some stuff here so I'm pretty comfortable. Lori Ann is here with Terry. They go at it every chance they can. The walls are thinner than I remembered. Did you ever think that they'd be a couple?"_

"_Lori Ann and Terry? Nope. That's an interesting pair though. She's a tough gal to deal with. I wish him luck with that. I hope that you meant what you said earlier. I do want to talk 'bout happened in Vegas and 'bout what happened to the baby."_

"_Okay, here it goes. To be honest, I didn't know that I was talkin' to ya earlier. You know that. I thought that it was Mike. It wasn't a stranger in Vegas, okay. I know that Mike was wrong to do what he did, but drunk or not I wanted somethin' to happen. He had to have left you and your buddies at some point that night. I was already drinking. He started drinking. There wasn't any birth control around and it happened. I'm not sorry. He didn't take advantage of me. I wanted it to happen. I remember that much. We both panicked the next morning. You know that. He wasn't gonna let Kim have an abortion. He knew that I'd never abort my child. I know that he tried to tell me the truth in the delivery room after I had the baby. As far as the baby's concerned, I'm not gonna pretend like it never happened. I'm not gonna pretend like he never existed. I've tried to do that for too long."_

"_Okay. I'm not happy that my wife accidentally flirted with me on the phone because she thought that she was talking to another man, instead of her husband. I never asked for you to take the conversation in that direction. Someday when you're ready, I intend to get some answers about good ole' Mike. I didn't call to fight with you or pressure you. So you figured out that it was not a stranger in Vegas?"_

"_Yes. I wasn't hard to follow the train of breadcrumbs, Brock. There were little clues. I just had to piece them together. I confront Mike about it and we had a good honest talk about it. I was talkin' to Lori Ann about it earlier. It was just too personal to have been with a stranger. It wasn't just sex. It was somethin' else, somethin' that really touched me deep inside. It was just like I'd imagined that making love would be like. It's nice to know that my baby was conceived that way. You were a good friend to me, Brock, through the whole thing with the baby. I really have to thank you for that. I really appreciate how much you helped me through that. I was terrified and alone. I did a horrible thing. I do that a lot. Every time, things are really mad. I hold it in. There have been so many times that I should've been leaning on Mike for support because that's what you do when you love someone. You let them be your shelter from the storm, your home. He was my best friend and everything else that mattered. So I'm talking to him now about everything. I'm either gonna get closure or something else entirely. I'm gonna talk to the kids about the baby. It's important that I let the girls know. John was a part of me the same way that Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake are."_

"_Of course, he is. He's their brother, too."_

"_Half-brother, but that's beside the point. I want to help Cheyenne understand that it's very important for her to do everything she can to take care of herself. I wanna help her through this pregnancy so her baby will be born healthy."_

"_Our grandchild will be fine, Reba. I know it. What happened to John was not a common occurrence. You could've died, too. If John had lived, we might not have had Cheyenne, Kyra, or Jake. I am very happy to have those kids. We are very lucky."_

"_You mean because I didn't accept your proposal? I've thought about that. Sometimes I think that things worked out the way that they were meant to, but that doesn't mean that I don't mourn my losses. I had some pretty bad things happen to me in one short year. I didn't even have time to figure things out. I'm almost forty years old and I don't know who I really am. I'm tryin' to do that now."_

"_I know who you are. You're Reba Hart and you're a survivor."_

"_But I want to know who I am other than being someone's wife, mother, or grandmother."_

"_I want you to figure that out, too. I'm here for you, honey."_

"_You're with another woman, Brock. You're not here. I need support."_

"_I'm talkin' to you right now alone in our house, in our bedroom. I'm at our house, taking care of our kids. I'm here. We are still married. I am not married to Barbra Jean, am I?"_

"_We've been separated for almost a year while I tried to deal with everything by myself. I don't want to do that anymore. When I get home, you won't be there. You'll be back at the condo with __Her__. I want more than that. I need more than that. Every marriage that worth savin' deserves to be saved. I really believe that. If we aren't gonna make it, then I need to go back and take a look at my other marriage. I need to find the answers that I've always wanted to find. I didn't fight hard for what I wanted back then. I was friends with Mike for thirteen years before the wedding. I loved him for four years before we got married. We were closer than anyone thought that we were. I gave up my family for him. We lived together and started building a life before Vegas. We let things get in the way. I ran off to Ada instead of facing the problem head on. He should've had to face me. I let him take the easy way out for awhile. That pushed him further to Kim. If I hadn't left town, I might not have had such a hard time with the pregnancy. I was alone and depending on the kindness of strangers. He came to me as soon as he could find me. He was the first one to hold John. He begged me to marry him. He loved us and I just did what I always do. Whenever I'm mad, hurt, or scared, I run as fast and as far away from the problem as I can. I deliberately hurt the one person that I vowed to love, honor, and cherish for the rest of my life. It's a horrible feeling to betray someone you love like that. He was devastated when I married you."_

"_I think that we have that in common, Reba. I run away from problems, too. I deliberately hurt the one person that I vowed to love, honor, and cherish for the rest of my life. I made a stupid mistake and I'm livin' with the consequences. I know what that horrible feeling deep inside is like. I betrayed the people that I loved the most. I hurt you. I know that. This is the second time that you've packed up and left Houston. I know that you are not okay. I'm not okay. I'm watchin' you walk away. So is this it? Have you made up your mind about us? Are you really gonna be with Mike now if you can?"_

"_I don't know. I'm a mess. I'm figuring things out as I go along. He is someone who I can count on. He made a mistake when we weren't a couple. We were just friends. He didn't think that there was a chance for us. This was before we'd ever committed to each other. I ended up with you at a time when my life was like a tornado out of control. We were friends for only six months. We only dated for three months. We didn't know each other long enough to be able to make mature lifetime decisions."_

"_We've been married for eighteen years and best friends for all of that time."_

_Reba started crying. "Brock, we've spent the last year apart. We only had about sixteen and a half good years together where we relied on each other as best friends and everything. My life is back to being that tornado out of control again. I can't live like that. The kids and I need stability. I need to be with someone who is gonna love me forever, even through the bad times. I need a real partner to rely on. I need to be with a man who knows for sure what he wants. I need someone who wants to fight for me, for our life together, our family, and our marriage. Can you put us first before anything else, no matter what? Can you put us before your dental practice, your friends, your golfing, your free time, Barbra Jean, and the child that she is carrying with you? I need to rebuild a life, a good one. I might even want more children someday. Is that something that you would want?"_

"_We already have three kids. I have one more on the way. We have a grandchild on the way. We've got a full house, Reba. I don't know if we can handle having any more kids."_

"_Wrong answer. You mean that you can't handle having any more kids. I've always wanted a big family. You didn't. Okay, so we're gonna have five kids livin' in our house and another one on the weekends. That takes strength as a couple to handle. What is one more kid gonna hurt? Children are a blessing. I wish that I'd known that you'd be this way before I married you. I just didn't know you well enough. We don't want the same things. We don't want the same life."_

"_You love me. The way that you talked to me tonight showed me that. Come on, you had to have recognized my voice somehow, even on a subconscious level. You've asked me to come back home. We just made love two months ago."_

"_That's the problem. I heard all the right things that night. After that, I felt like I got treated like a one night stand. We didn't even talk about it after that. If it was so great, then why didn't we talk about it? Why didn't you try harder to be with me? You told me that you were gonna marry BJ. That is not a way to save your marriage, Brock. You are such a moron."_

"_Okay, now we're back to the name calling again. I've changed my mind. I want to come home. I'll try harder. Please, honey."_

"_Do you want more children? Would it be okay to have another child in our house?"_

"_Are you threatening me? God, Reba, I swear that you don't want this to work out at all. Are you telling me that we're over if we don't have another child?"_

_Reba started sobbing heavily. "Wrong answer, Brock. I'm your wife and the mother of your children right now. I don't think it's so wrong for me to want to carry another one of our children as a proof of our love and commitment. I see that the last thing that you want is to have a baby with me, but you're having a baby with Barbra Jean. That's just great! I just want a fresh start for our family, but you don't really want the same things that I want. That's what you're telling me now. I see what's going on. You are like a child. You only want a toy after someone else plays with it. Another man might want me and that's why you've suddenly decided that you want me. You just don't want me to end up with Mike. Let me tell you something. Mike does want another child with me. He wants two more children with me and he's got three of his own. Together, we have a total of six kids, plus Van and their baby makes eight. If you add two more, that's ten kids. He is willing to love my children as part of the package. That's how much he loves me. I see that is not the kind of life that you see for us. I feel sorry for you. We could've had something wonderful."_

_Reba felt her body reacting to the emotion and the stress. She started throwing up in the trash can by the bed._

"_What's wrong, honey? Are you okay?"_

"_No, Brock. I'm sick. I've been sick. You'd have noticed that before now if you hadn't been so selfish. You haven't been around to notice, except for the ten minutes you spend at the house while you are picking up or dropping off the kids. I need some rest. I don't want to throw up again. This conversation is over."_

"_Wait! Have you seen a doctor? What's goin' on?"_

"_Spare me the last minute concern. It's too late. You're never around anyway when things get tough. I'll make this easy for you, okay. It's not your problem. I can take care of myself. I've been doing that for the last year or so. I'm exhausted. If you cared at all, you'd let the conversation end because you'd know that I can't handle any more. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. See that's what a real partner does. A real partner knows what the other person wants and needs. A real partner makes sure that the other person gets what they want and need because they love that person more than they love themselves."_

"_Fine. I'll let you go now. I really love you, honey. I'm sorry that you're sick."_

"_You should be, you selfish moron." Reba fired back._

"_Fine. I'm a selfish moron, but I'm a selfish moron who loves you and I'm willing to change."_

_Lori Ann heard the angry exchange and Reba's vomiting. She came running into the room. She took the phone._

"_I expected better from you, Brock. You've done this to her for the fifth and final time. She has people who really care about her to help her through this now. You've proven just how dependable you are when it comes to situations like this. Go back to the bimbo. She allows you to continue acting like a selfish child. That's all you really want anyway. Reba's giving you a way out. Take the easy way out. You know that you want to." Lori Ann hung up on Brock._

"_He doesn't want the baby, Lori Ann. Even if I wanted to change my mind, I just can't anymore. She deserves to have a father and Mike deserves a second chance. I just have to put Brock out of my mind. I'm Maggie's mother and I'm gonna do what's best for her. Just like I did for Cheyenne. I just don't know how I am gonna do this. It's a horrible, unforgiveable lie. I have to lie to Brock's face. I'm marrying Mike and I'm still in love with Brock. I love both of them. This is just as horrible as it was seventeen years ago."_

The next scene came on. Reba was shaken out of her memories to watch.

Reba was in the kitchen in the apartment again, making breakfast dressed in her blue bathrobe. Mike came up behind her. He put his arms around her, spinning her around to face him. He moved toward her unexpectedly and pulled her into a kiss.

"Mornin', sexy."

"Mmm. That was nice greeting. Good mornin' to you, cowboy. Did you like the food that I left for ya last night?"

"Yeah. I love how you always know what I need. I loved the sandwich, the cookies, and the woman who woke up in my arms this mornin'."

"Well, I've been told that there are three things that are important to a man: a sexy woman, a sandwich, and a sexy woman making him a sandwich. I'm just taking the advice."

"Brock!" they both said at the same time. They shared a laugh.

"I'll have to thank him someday."

"Yeah, right." Reba said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"You don't have to try so hard. You've been throwing up half the night. I don't expect you to worry about making me food when you're not feeling well. This can't be good for the baby."

"I feel fine right now. Do you really want to fight with me?"

"No."

"Good."

She pulled him back against her and kissed him hard. Under the robe, she was still dressed his dress shirt and tie. She took off the robe. He lifted her onto the counter. The kissing continued. Reba started taking off the tie slowly.

"Hey, you guys. Get a room. Don't be doing that in the kitchen," Terry yelled.

Reba laughed. "What can I say, she's a vixen," Mike replied.

"Yeah, it's like Kim says. I have him under my evil spell," Reba teased. She stuck her arms out in front of her and wiggled her fingers. She tried to cackle.

Lori Ann started laughing. Reba joined in her laughter. She threw her head back when she laughed.

"We aren't ever gonna get a chance for spontaneous lovemaking, are we?"

"Plenty of time for that on our honeymoon. How about goin' to Hawaii?"

"That's six months away. I'm gonna look like a big fat pumpkin by then. I'm gonna be eight months pregnant. That is not sexy for a honeymoon in Hawaii."

"You'll look as beautiful as you did the first time. You were gorgeous in the delivery room."

"No, I wasn't. I was huge, tired, sweaty, and mean. I yelled at you and I almost tore Brock's arm right out of the socket."

"You were beautiful to me. I'll never forget the look on your face when the doctor asked you what you were gonna name him. You look beautiful, especially when you're pregnant."

"Okay. Well, let's go to Hawaii after the baby's born so we can really enjoy it."

"Sounds good. We can even make love on the beach."

"You better be careful, buddy. The next thing you know, I'll be pregnant again, only this time with twins. We'd end up with eleven children all together. I don't think that we can fit that many into this apartment." Reba said laughing.

"Then we'll get a house. We'll have as many babies as you want. I'm gonna enjoy making babies with you."

"So you say now, but our house will be loud with that many people living there. It will be chaos to have that many kids living in a house with only two parents."

"Yeah, but think of it this way. One of the kids is a grandchild. Sooner or later, Van and Cheyenne will move out. Brock gets your kids part-time at his place. Sam's gonna be moving out soon. My three boys spend half their time with Kim at her house. Nick will be eighteen in four years. Kyra will be eighteen in six years. After that, it'll just be me, you, Josh, Jake, Maggie, and the other baby that we'll have. That's only six people living in the house. There'll be only four kids; two of them share custody with another parent. That leaves me, you, Maggie, and our baby."

"Wait a minute. You said me, you, Maggie, and our baby. Are you saying that you don't count Maggie as our baby?" Reba fumed.

"Honey, I didn't mean it like that the way it sounded. I just meant that Maggie wouldn't be the baby of our family anymore when we have another baby. By that time, she might be at least six years old, especially when the older kids move out."

Reba's face softened. She was struck by a pain in her left arm. "I don't feel good all of a sudden. Mike, why are there two of you standing there? I'm dizzy."

Reba fell to the floor.

Mike ran to her. "Reba, honey, wake up! Terry, call an ambulance." Mike started performing CPR on her. The scene went to black.

What will happen to Reba? Will the ambulance reach her in time? Will she ever wake up?

It's 2002. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews! They make my day!**

I want to express my thanks to the following reviewers who have given me valuable feedback.

**Teambrarllover**

**Blaze Of Destruction**

**jennyleigh3reba**

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leesy96

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**iNxC0NCERTx2010**


	11. Waking Reba Up

_Dear Readers-_

_Last week, my jump drive stopped working. It had my story, Believe in Love Again on it. The good part is that I had Chapters 1-10 backed up on my home computer. The bad part is that I was working on Chapter 11 and I hadn't backed it up on my home computer yet. I usually back up my chapters after I post them. I work on my story from several computers. I work on the story from home and from school. I have learned my lesson now. I'm backing up my chapters daily on the home computer from my new jump drive. The previous Chapter 11 was 16 pages long. I have had to recreate this work to the best of my memory. This takes time so I wasn't able to post Chapter 11 last Sunday. The new Chapter 11 is the usual length and it is posted this week for you. Thanks for understanding._

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though.

I have also previously tried to write in the correct dialect. It's been pointed out to me that Reba's would say morons as mo-rons. I will fix this from here on out in the story. Sorry.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- Reba's face softened. She was struck by a pain in her left arm. "I don't feel good all of a sudden. Mike, why are there two of you standing there? I'm dizzy."

Reba fell to the floor. Mike ran to her. "Reba, honey, wake up! Terry, call an ambulance." Mike started performing CPR on her. The scene went to black.

What will happen to Reba? Will the ambulance reach her in time? Will she ever wake up?

Of course! That was meant to be a cliffhanger used for dramatic effect. Of course, she wakes up because that happened in 2002. At the beginning of the story, she wakes up in Vegas in 2008.

It's 2002 in the story. What happens between 2002 and 2008? What happens in the present? Keep reading to find out more!

_Author's note-The story picks up from the first season of Reba. Brock has announced that he's going to marry Barbra Jean because she is pregnant with his child. Cheyenne's pregnancy has been revealed. Cheyenne and Van were married just like in the pilot episode. There's just one big problem that Reba has to face so she's going back to get Mike's help. Reba feels humiliated and alone. She doesn't know what to do, except turn to someone who will show her love and support. She is also extremely vengeful toward Brock and Barbra Jean._

Now on with our story-

The next scene came on. Reba was lying in a hospital bed. To the casual observer, it would appear that she was sleeping peacefully. The reality was far grimmer. Mike was sitting in a chair by her bedside. His head hung down and his hands covered his face. Lori Ann was behind the camcorder. She was talking to Mike.

"What if she never wakes up?"

"You can't talk like that, Mike! She's gonna make it. She's got so much to live for. Oh my God, Brock and the kids don't even know what's happened to her. We've got to call him. He's her husband."

"Divorce papers were filed. Her next of kin is listed as her fiancé and her parents. We've done a good job of making decisions for her care so far. We have to think about what Reba would want us to do. Do you really think that she wants him here? Her parents would move heaven and earth to make sure that she'll get better."

"I don't like Brock either, but they're still married. If she doesn't get better, we're gonna have to tell him something. Right now, he thinks that she's dropped off the face of the earth. I have to wonder what he's told the kids. Poor little Jake is sick. Brock thinks that she's running around with you and she's not answering her phone. Reba would never do that. She's not that kind of mother. We have to do something to wake her up. Sing to her again, Mike. She loves it when you sing to her."

Mike picked up his guitar that was beside his chair and began to play an old favorite song of theirs from their teen years, "Thirteen".

**Won't you let me walk you home from school  
Won't you let me meet you at the pool  
Maybe Friday I can  
get tickets for the dance  
and I'll take you  
Won't you tell your dad, "Get off my back"  
Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It Black'  
Rock 'n Roll is here to stay  
Come inside where it's okay  
And I'll shake you.  
Won't you tell me what you're thinking of  
Would you be an outlaw for my love  
If it's so, well, let me know  
If it's "no", well, I can go  
I won't make you**

When he was finished playing the song, he bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. She began to stir. Her eyelids slowly opened.

"Hi."

"Hi, Sal. You've had us worried for awhile."

"Where am I? What happened?"

"Don't you remember? You were in the kitchen with Mike making breakfast when you complained about not feeling well. You were dizzy and seeing double before you fell to the floor. Mike gave you CPR until the ambulance arrived. Your heart stopped a couple of times in the ambulance. You were gone for about four minutes. They induced hypothermia to reduce the chances of brain damage. You've been in a coma for three days."

"That's why I'm cold. I hate the cold. I need another blanket. I can't stand being this cold. That's why I live in Texas. I can't thank you enough, Jack. I guess you saved my life. Apparently, I need to be rescued a lot."

"Like I'm gonna let my wife die, not a chance in hell."

"What did the doctor say about the baby? Is she okay?"

"She's gone, darlin'. I'm so sorry. You started bleeding just before we got in the ambulance. The doctors did everything that they could, but they said that we could try again when you're feeling better."

"I'm not ready for that right now. You know I heard things while I was unconscious. You should've called Brock, you mo-ron. I've never stayed out of touch from the kids this long."

"Reba, we didn't know what you wanted. We were worried about saying the wrong thing. Did you want Brock to be told?" Lori Ann interjected.

"I guess you're right, Lori Ann. I'm going through a divorce and Brock can use this to get custody of the kids. Okay, you two, just so we're clear, this never happened! I'm in the hospital for minor surgery and that's all. The ironic thing is that for four minutes Brock and BJ didn't have to worry about getting the divorce over with."

"Don't talk like that, Reba. Honestly, you have to know that there is no way that Brock would find joy in finding out that you died. He's an idiot, but you're the mother of his children," Lori Ann replied.

"So is Barbra Jean. I'm standing in their way."

Mike sat beside Reba in the hospital bed and put his arm around her. He kissed the top of her forehead. "No, he's standing in our way. We're the ones who need the path clear so we can get married. With any luck, it'll be sooner than later."

"You're lucky that I'm such a damsel in distress. It's nice to know that you'll always be there when I need you. I don't deserve you."

"I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. I've done you wrong and you still love me."

"Yes, well, it's easy. You're my best friend and I've loved you all my life. It's destiny."

"I want to thank you for coming back. Everything is gonna be okay. We'll handle this together."

"You don't understand, do ya? As far as everyone is concerned, we're gonna act like this never happened. There was no baby. If anyone asks, we'll tell them that it was a false alarm. I'm serious. We're never gonna talk about this again. What happens in Oklahoma, stays in Oklahoma."

"That applies to Vegas. Sal, honey, this is what you did after John died. It's not healthy for you. I'm here for you, if you need to talk about anything."

"I know, but this is the way that I want to handle this right now. I'm sorry. I can't handle anything more right now. Why don't you go home, shower, and get something to eat?"

"Excellent idea, Reba. Mike, don't worry about a thing. I'll stay with Reba and if she needs you I'll call you right away."

"Sure. I'll check in with your parents. I'm sure that they would like to know that you're awake. I'm so glad that you're gonna be okay. I've never been more relieved in my life." Mike held her tightly for a couple of minutes before getting up to leave the room. Lori Ann set the camcorder down on a table and took his place in the chair next to Reba's bed.

"You know that thing about seeing your life flash before your eyes when you're about to die is true. Do you want to know what I saw?"

"What did ya see, Reba?"

"I saw Brock. I saw everything that I've ever experienced with him flash in front of my eyes in a flash. I knew that I was about to die and I saw Brock's face. He's the last thing that I thought about while I was dying."

"That's huge. You should try talkin' to him again."

"What am I gonna say to Brock? I lied. I've been foolin' around on my husband because I was trying to hide a pregnancy. I lost our baby. I feel like I'm lost everything in the world. The thing is that I really wanted this baby, even if no one else did. It was my last connection to Brock. It was proof that our marriage wasn't a complete disaster because we actually loved each other 'til the end. He's not gonna believe that though. I threw Mike in his face the other day. What do I do now? I think that I still want to be with Brock, but I can't face him after this. I love Mike, too. This is so wrong. I realize that I'm not being fair to Mike. I love him, but I'm not in love with him. I'm still in love with my husband. I'm really scared."

"Don't worry. I'll call Brock. It'll be okay. I'll make sure that he doesn't overreact."

"Okay. Go ahead. I'm ready."

Lori Ann picked up the phone to make the call. "Hi, Brock. This is Lori Ann. I know that you've been worried.

She hasn't been able to call you because she's in the hospital, McAlester Regional Hospital. She just got out of surgery.

She's gonna be okay, but she's worried about the kids.

Yes, I know. I've told her that. She's in a hospital bed, worrying about you being mad at her.

Here, I'll let you talk to her."

Lori Ann handed the phone to Reba.

Reba got caught up in a flashback. She remembered that conversation with Brock vividly.

"_Hi, Brock. How're the kids?"_

"_Hi, honey. The kids are fine. Jake is doing better. His fever is down. How are you? What happened?"_

"_I had to have my appendix removed. It's no big deal. I'll be fine."_

"_You don't sound fine. You sound really weak. Are you sure that you're okay?"_

"_Brock, I just woke up from- from major surgery. Of course, I sound tired and weak. My body has been through a lot in the past few days. I'll be okay soon."_

"_I'm sorry that I gave you a hard time the other night. I didn't realize how sick you were. You know that I would never want to hurt you like that."_

"_Like you're so afraid of hurting me? I've been sick for awhile and my husband didn't even bother to notice. Too late."_

"_If you went in for surgery, then why wasn't I contacted? I'm your husband. Anything could've happened to you in the operating room. Why didn't the doctors call me?"_

"_We have divorce papers filed, Brock. My parents are legally listed as my next-of-kin. I didn't want to bother you with this. You've got enough to worry about at home with the kids."_

"_I told you last night that I wanted to do somethin' about that. We can still try to work on things. I don't like this. You're so far away. You needed surgery and I wasn't contacted. Was Mike contacted?"_

"_Yes. He was with me when I was admitted to the hospital."_

"_Does that mean that you are with him now? What does that mean for us?"_

"_No, I'm not sure if I'm gonna be with Mike. He just helped me work through some stuff. I had to. We are whatever you want us to be. You live in the condo with your pregnant mistress, whom you plan to marry once our divorce is final. That speaks volumes to me about what you want."_

"_I was tryin' to do the right thing, especially if our marriage was gonna be over. She's the mother of my child. I have to take care of her, too. That doesn't mean that I have to live with her. I still have a wife and a family. I'd like to come home and take care of all of you. Can we work this out?"_

"_I don't know. Marriage is a lot of hard work for both people in the relationship."_

"_I know that. I'm doing my part right now. I promise to keep helping you more with the kids. You don't have to do everything by yourself. You are not alone in this. We can work together to take care of these children. We have a wonderful family."_

"_Yes, we do. How are things goin' over there?"_

"_Jake is still in bed sick, but not as bad as before. Kyra is fighting with Cheyenne again. Cheyenne and Van can't keep their hands off each other."_

_Reba laughed softly. "They're married. They're gonna try to have sex. They've already done it before and we've got a grandchild on the way."_

"_Well, I haven't had sex in two months. I think that Van and Cheyenne should be able to control themselves for a few days."_

"_I find that hard to believe, Brock. You have a mistress who is at your beck and call twenty-four hours a day."_

"_Why would I want to have sex with Barbra Jean when I still want to make love to my wife?"_

"_Since when?"_

"_Since you kissed me two months ago. There's still somethin' there. After that night, I haven't wanted to do anything with Barbra Jean."_

"_That's hard to believe, Brock. I left two months ago because I saw the two of you together, kissing in your office. You have pictures of the two of you in your office. The evidence speaks for itself."_

"_That's why you left town? You never did tell me why you left. Why didn't you talk to me about it? If I'd known that you were hurt, I'd never have given up on us. I wouldn't have started having a relationship with BJ. Look, I was friends with Barbra Jean at first. We were separated and she listened to my problems. She had a crush on me. She took pictures of us and she put them up in the office. I'd slept with her once, but that was enough for her to think that we'd actually had a relationship. It was a mistake, honey; a mistake that I would take back if I could. She made a move on me in the office that day two months ago. I was thrown off by it. I was lonely and she was there. She was warm, willing, and coming on to me all the time. I didn't stop her from continuing to kiss me at first. That's my fault. I know that. If you would've come in five minutes later, you would've seen me rejecting her advances. You came home and we had that night together. I knew that you were the only one I wanted right away. I haven't looked at BJ that way since then. I swear."_

"_That's a convenient story, Brock. You didn't talk to me for two days after. We haven't talked about that night at all. You had two months to talk to me about it. You acted like it didn't even happen. I'm sitting in the therapist's office begging you to come home and you announce to me that you wanted a divorce in front of our kids. Actions speak louder than words, you mo-ron."_

"_What about you? I waited for you to say something, anything. You treated me like the whole thing didn't happen, too. You acted just like you did before. I'm not gonna beg ya to wanna be with me. I want you to wanna be my wife. You didn't even talk to me in court. After court, I figured that we were over. I proposed to BJ as soon as I found out that she was pregnant. Before you ask, I want to let you know that I made sure that she was really pregnant. After that, we were in the therapist's office and I figured that it was too late to turn back. We had to deal with Cheyenne and Van's situation. After that, you left town. I call you and find out that you're staying with Mike in his apartment. I heard you tell Lori Ann_ _that you couldn't come to the phone because you're busy having sex. You're not with me so I had to wonder who you're having sex with. Later, you come on to me on the phone because you thought that it was Mike on the phone. You smash the "sixteen and a half" good years because you think that being married to me is so awful. You made a relationship that ended twenty years ago more important than being with me. That really hurt, Reba. I still tried to talk you into getting back together. You were being unreasonable. You were throwing a fit because I don't want another baby. It seems to me that you want to have another child more than you want to be married to me. You're with Mike because he is willing to do whatever you want. You accuse me of acting like a spoiled child. Shouldn't you take a look in the mirror? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, honey."_

"_I wish that I could explain it to you. I just can't. I was really sick and I didn't even know how serious it was. I'm trying to make good decisions now. I'm trying to tell you what I need in order to move forward in the marriage. If we can't see eye to eye on something that is so important to me, then how can we hope that everything will work out for us? I'm a mother and I'm trying to do the right thing for the kids. The kids and I deserve to be really and truly happy."_

"_I can't believe that we're still fighting about the same issue again. You really don't want this to work out, do ya? Do you honestly think that I don't want you and the kids to be happy? How is being divorced a good thing for our kids? These are our kids, Reba. I guess that you'd want anyone else to be their father right now, but the fact is that I am your husband and I am their father. We're gonna have to get past a lot of things in order to raise these kids together, whether we're married or divorced."_

"_I know that. I think that you can try to make us happy, but I think that things will just go back to the way that they were before. The kids deserve for the fighting to stop. We haven't fought in front of them for about six months now. They are finally doing better. I never said that I didn't want you to be their father. You're just putting words in my mouth, Brock."_

"_Look at the facts, Reba. You ended up in the hospital and you listed your parents as your next of kin, instead of your husband. You obviously didn't want me there. I've done everything I can lately to show ya that I can be the husband that you want. I'm here taking care of the kids while you left town. I haven't even talked to Barbra Jean in almost two weeks. I called you to plead my case and you shot me down. You would prefer to go running to Mike of all people! It's not like he's much better for ya than I am. He left you at the altar. He barely managed an explanation the next morning. He left you to ride home with me in Vegas. He wanted to take away your job and the life that you had planned together. You had to beg him to let you keep your job. That's what I remember. I also remember that you begged him to marry you after you found out that you were pregnant. He's claimed responsibility as the father of the child, but he didn't love you enough to marry you. He married another woman. He just let you leave town on your own. I offered to marry you. I found you when you were in trouble. I repeatedly asked you to marry me. I helped you deliver the baby. You turned me down again because he finally showed up at the last minute. Do you think that your blood pressure would've been so high if you weren't living under those circumstances? Did you have any other problems when you were pregnant with Cheyenne, Kyra, or Jake? No, you didn't. I took good care of you, honey. You know that."_

"_I know that. You used to carry me around back then. You would barely let me walk because you were so worried that something would happen to me. I'm not denying that. Somewhere between then and now, we've lost whatever we had between us. You just slowly let go of me and built a life around what made you happy. Our fighting didn't make either of us happy."_

"_I'm willing to work on things. I've tried everything that I can to convince you of that. You accused me of __acting like a child. You actually compared me to a child. It's not that I only wanted you after Mike wanted you. It is not a sudden decision to want to be with you. If you want to be with Mike, I'm not gonna stop you, but I know that there is a real possibility that things may not work out as well as you hope for. I'm saying this as your friend. As the father of your children, I do have to be concerned about the effect that another bad relationship could have on them. He lives in Oklahoma. Do you really plan to move there? Do you even care 'bout my relationship with our kids? We've got a good custody arrangement now. Do you want to take Cheyenne and Van away from Westchester High School during their senior year on top of everything else that those two have to deal with? How do you plan to make all of this work?"_

"_I haven't figured that out yet. I just got here a few days ago. I haven't made any decisions yet. I just know that Mike and I have talked. He's been very clear about what he wants. He's apologized for the past. I forgive him. I've known him too long to keep holding on to the anger. I want him in my life. I don't know what that means yet. He used to be your best friend, Brock. You should want him back in our lives as a friend."_

"_Of course, he would say whatever you want to hear. He's very good at that. I watched him do that for a long time before we got together. As far as having another child, your health is an issue. You'd be at risk for things to go wrong at your age. I just don't think that it would be physically possible for us to have another child. I remember what happened when you were pregnant with John."_

"_Don't you throw that in my face! He was my child. No matter what, I do not regret having him. I was better off being his mother than I would've been without that blessing. Another child would be a gift. Cheyenne is seventeen years old and she gets to have her own miracle with her own husband. Barbra Jean is thirteen years younger than you and you chose to be with her once. She gets to be the mother of your child. Do you know how hard it has been for me to see you with her? No matter what you are gonna be tied to her forever through that child. Do you blame me for wanting another blessing like that? It's about love. It's just that simple. I know for a fact that it is not physically impossible for us to have another child. Believe me. We should love each other enough to be open to the possibility. You want to dismiss the idea without even discussing it with me calmly. I did the research on the risks. I know what's involved. I know that you don't want to hear this, but I want a fresh start in my life. I want to be happy in a good relationship with a man that really loves me. I'd like to celebrate that love with another child before I am too old to have one."_

"_Does it even matter who the guy is? You just want a child and you'll do what you have to in order to get one because you hear your biological child ticking. We're gonna have a new baby in our house soon. You'll be holding a new baby in your arms soon. We'll be helping Cheyenne and Van raise our grandchild. I don't mean to bring up the past, but I think that this is important. I was willing to marry you before when you were pregnant with John. I wanted to help you raise your child. The possibility existed that Mike would've showed up to try to claim him someday and I didn't care. I wanted you no matter what. You would've married me if Mike hadn't showed up. I loved you enough to raise your child with you and love him as ours. Believe me, I loved that baby. You said once that biology wasn't important because love mattered. If that's true, then why can't you love my child the same way? Do you honestly think that we can handle three brand new babies in our home at the same time when we're just rebuilding our marriage? What would it do to us if you lost another baby? Have you even considered that?"_

"_Yes, Brock, I have. I've given this a lot of thought over the past two months. I believe that if we were really committed to each other, then it would work out. If you made the changes for us, I think that we'd be stronger than before. I thought about what would happen if we'd accidentally got pregnant. It's not like we haven't done that before. None of our children were actually planned in advance. I thought that it would be nice to actually have a planned baby. When we tell the kids the story about how we broke up and got back together, we'd tell them that we loved each other so much that we'd never break up again. We'd have a new person out of that love, someone who looked like a little bit of you and a little bit of me or someone who looked like a little bit of each of our other children. That would be a beautiful way to always remember our marriage and our life together. It would be stronger and last longer than it did the first time. It would make accepting your new child easier for me. Do you think that I wanna be jealous of BJ? I hate feeling that way."_

"_You have nothin' to be jealous of. I made a mistake. It's not like you haven't done that yourself. Why should you be jealous of her when she'll be alone and you've got me in your arms? Isn't that what it's all about? Us, staying together. That's the point. One night doesn't erase eighteen years of marriage unless we let it. I'm even willing to forgive whatever it is that you have goin' on in Oklahoma. I won't ask until you're ready to talk to me about it. I can even fly up there tonight and talk to ya about working things out. I miss you. I really wanna see ya. Come on, honey, we can get through this. Come home. I love you."_

"_Okay, I'll come home as soon as I'm released from the hospital. Please don't come here. I don't think that would be good for either of us. I can't handle any stress right now. I don't want this to get out of hand. The kids need us and I don't wanna start fighting again. I love you, too, Brock. I'll call you again as soon as I can."_

"_Okay, honey, I'll be right here waiting for ya. I don't think that you realize how much I love you. I don't want to make your recovery worse. I'll just stay here with the kids and keep taking care of things like I've been doin'. Night, Reba."_

"_I do feel better knowin' that the kids have ya there. We'll sit down and talk when I get home. I believe you when you say that you love me. I'm just so mad at ya for everything that's been goin' on for the past year. I'll see you soon. I really do love you, Brock. Goodnight."_

Reba's memory of the conversation ended and she began to watch the tape again. She saw Mike entering the hospital room as her conversation with Brock ended. He was holding a bouquet of red roses. Mike's smile faded into a look of dismay.

"What's goin' on here, Reba? Did I just hear you telling Brock that you love him?" he asked."

"Craaap!" she responded.

What will happen to Reba and Mike? Will she walk out on Mike again? Will she get back together with Brock?

It's 2002. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

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_I thank all of you for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_


	12. Leaving and coming back

_Dear Readers-_

_I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. _

_Merry Christmas! I'm posting this chapter early as a Christmas gift to my readers._

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the character in this story right now. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story puts the events of season one from fall 2002-spring 2003 and the events of season two in fall 2003-spring 2004.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- Lori Ann handed the phone to Reba.

Reba got caught up in a flashback. She remembered that conversation with Brock vividly.

"_Okay, I'll come home as soon as I'm released from the hospital. Please don't come here. I don't think that would be good for either of us. I can't handle any stress right now. I don't want this to get out of hand. The kids need us and I don't wanna start fighting again. I love you, too, Brock. I'll call you again as soon as I can."_

"_Okay, honey, I'll be right here waiting for ya. I don't think that you realize how much I love you. I don't want to make your recovery worse. I'll just stay here with the kids and keep taking care of things like I've been doin'. Night, Reba."_

"_I do feel better knowin' that the kids have ya there. We'll sit down and talk when I get home. I believe you when you say that you love me. I'm just so mad at ya for everything that's been goin' on for the past year. I'll see you soon. I really do love you, Brock. Goodnight."_

Reba's memory of the conversation ended and she began to watch the tape again. She saw Mike entering the hospital room as her conversation with Brock ended. He was holding a bouquet of red roses. Mike's smile faded into a look of dismay.

"What's goin' on here, Reba? Did I just hear you telling Brock that you love him?" he asked."

"Craaap!" she responded.

What will happen to Reba and Mike? Will she walk out on Mike again? Will she get back together with Brock?

It's 2002 in the story. What happens between 2002 and 2008? What happens in the present? Keep reading to find out more!

_Author's note-The story picks up from the first season of Reba. Brock has announced that he's going to marry Barbra Jean because she is pregnant with his child. Cheyenne's pregnancy has been revealed. Cheyenne and Van were married just like in the pilot episode. There's just one big problem that Reba has to face so she's going back to get Mike's help. Reba ends up in the hospital in Oklahoma. Brock confronts her about her behavior and begs her to come home. She is very confused. She could be with a man who loves her unconditionally that she also loves very much or she could be with a husband who has set limits to their relationship and cheated on her. If she stays with him, she'll have to accept the mistress and child as part of their lives and part of their family. Reba feels humiliated. She feels even more distressed at the fact that she is still in love with her husband._

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba looks at Mike with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean for you to hear that."

"Obviously."

"I'm very confused. You shouldn't want to marry me right now. You should want to marry me when you're the only one that I want. I'm still in love with Brock. I do love you. I've loved you for almost my entire life. I just can't marry you without getting rid of these feelings for Brock. Someday I'll be back and I'll be free to love you and only you. I have to go home. I've had some bad things happen in the last few days. I just want to go home and hug my children. I almost died. I would've never had the chance to see them again; now all I want is to see them again. I'm so sorry for leaving you again. You were the first guy that I ever loved, the first guy to kiss me. When I come back to you, I'll want you to be the last. You will always be a part of me."

Reba let go of the tears and let them fall gently down her face. She looked into Mike's eyes for his reaction. He sat down on the edge of her hospital bed and took one of her hands in his.

"Do you honestly think that you'll get rid of me that easily? Did you think that I'd be mad at ya? Life with you is so unpredictable. I can't wait to see what fate has in store for us later on. I'm always gonna love ya. You are the most beautiful, sensitive woman that I have ever known. You go on and do what you have to. I'll be right here when you get back. You're right. I do want you to be over Brock when you marry me. I promise to love you forever. You go back to Houston and remember that. The old saying goes that if you love something, then you set it free. If it comes back, then it is truly yours. In the meantime, I'm gonna stay right here with you until the doctor releases you to go home. I don't want anything else to happen to you. No pressure here. We'll just talk, play cards, and watch TV like we used to. We've always been best friends. I'll be your best friend because I know that's what you need right now."

Reba leaned forward and Mike moved in to wrap his arms around her. He just kept holding her like that for a few minutes, and then he moved to kiss her lips one last time. His lips searched and explored her mouth desperately like it was the last time.

When they parted, Reba broke the silence by laughing. "That definitely was not a kiss between friends, but I do have to admit you've got a talent for making me weak at the knees. That will have to be the last one for now. Thank you for loving me so much. When I'm ready, I'll be right back here."

"In the hospital?" he responded teasingly.

Reba slapped him upside the head gently. "No, you mo-ron, I'll be back in McAlester. I'll walk right into Holliway's just like before."

"They say that you only hurt the ones you love. You must love me a lot because you're always calling me a moron and smacking my head for one thing or another."

"I'm just trying to knock some sense into you. You always throw me off balance. First, you kiss me and then, you tease me. I don't know what to make of it. You're right. Our life together will never be boring. It's always unpredictable. Could you be serious for a second?"

"What do you want from me? Do you want me on my knees, beggin' you to stay? It's easier this way. Anything else would be too hard for me right now."

"Understood. Okay, friend. What do we do now?"

"I'd like to kiss you one more time," Mike replied with a smirk.

"Watch it, Mike. She looks like she wants to smack you again," Lori Ann commented.

"Pull out the cards. It's either that or you can play somethin' on the guitar for me."

"I could do both. Your wish is my command, Sal."

Mike picked up his guitar that was beside his chair and began to play another old song from their younger years, "Hello, It's Me".

**Hello, it's me  
I've thought about us for a long, long time  
Maybe I think too much but something's wrong  
There's something here that doesn't last too long  
Maybe I shouldn't think of you as mine  
Seeing you  
Or seeing anything as much as I do you  
I take for granted that you're always there  
I take for granted that you just don't care  
Sometimes I can't help seeing all the way through  
It's important to me that you know you are free  
'Cause I never want to make you change for me  
Think of me  
You know that I'd be with you if I could  
I'll come around to see you once in a while  
Or if I ever need a reason to smile  
And spend the night if you think I should**

**It's important to me that you know you are free**

**'Cause I never want to make you change for me  
Think of me  
You know that I'd be with you if I could  
I'll come around to see you once in a while  
Or if I ever need a reason to smile  
And spend the night if you think I should**

**Think of me, think of me, think of me**

When he was finished playing the song, he took her hand. She squeezed it reassuringly. She gave him a little smile.

"I'll be back, Jack. I promise."

_Author's note-Reminders- Brock and Reba are divorced. Brock married Barbra Jean and vowed to be a better husband and father this time. This shook Reba to the core. Brock throws his money around with the kids while she struggles to pay the bills. This makes Reba very frustrated. She ends up helping Brock in situations because of her feelings for him. She had to watch Brock marry Barbra Jean. She was also at the hospital with Brock on the day that Barbra Jean give birth to Henry. This really hurt because Reba should've been nine months pregnant with the baby that she lost. Prom night came and reminded Reba of Mike as she watched Cheyenne and Van dancing in her living room. The night that Brock came over to stay the night in the tree house was the night that Barbra Jean came over to get help with baby Henry. Reba had to care for Brock's new child on the night that would've been her due date. Reba struggles each month with her loss. The worse moment for her was when she started having flashbacks on Cheyenne's graduation day. She saw the moments from her past: giving birth to John, marrying Brock, giving birth to Cheyenne, and other moments during Cheyenne's childhood. She has fought to get over the dreams that she has of Brock. She is currently dating Brian. Brock and the kids attend Barbra Jean's family reunion. Reba can't allow herself to be intimate with Brian. At this point, she's thinking of Mike and wishing that she'd never left him. The story picks up from the second season of Reba. It's 2004._

The next scene came on. Reba was sitting in front of a camcorder in this scene.

"Hi, Jack. I bet you're surprised to hear from me this way. I know that it's been over a year and a half since we last saw each other. I don't like the way we ended things last time. I don't blame you if you never wanted to see me again. I keep walking out on you. I can't imagine what I would do if you were to do that to me over and over again. I'm glad that you didn't give up on me in the past. I hope that I'll still be welcomed back with open arms. I'm afraid of rejection. That's why I'm having Lori Ann send this. If you don't want to see me, then please let Lori Ann know. If you do want to see me, please give me a sign, any sign. I'm ready to choose you. I'm over Brock. He's made it quite easy. Believe me. I love you. Right now, I want to introduce you to my family. I want you to know what you're getting into."

Reba took the camcorder and went downstairs where the family was.

"What's with the camcorder, Mom?" Kyra asked.

"I know that we just got done with Elizabeth's time capsule video, but I thought that it would be nice for me to make a video to send to a friend of mine. Just introduce yourselves to the camera."

"Hi. I'm Reba's younger, but smarter daughter, Kyra. Over there stands the couple who are the walking poster children for birth control."

"Kyra!"

"I'm just calling it like I see it. Welcome to the circus."

"Shut up, Kyra!"

Cheyenne pointed the camcorder towards her and Van. Van is holding the baby.

"Hi. I'm Cheyenne. I obviously got the looks in this family. This is my wonderful husband, Van and our baby daughter, Elizabeth." Cheyenne leans over to give Van a passionate kiss.

"Cheyenne, watch it!" Reba says through gritted teeth.

"Hi, I'm Van. I'm a cornerback for the University of Houston. I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I've got a beautiful wife, terrific daughter, and Mrs. H. She is the best. I don't know what we'd do without her."

The camcorder is focused on the exchange between Cheyenne and Kyra.

"That's okay, Mom. She's just jealous that I got all the brains in the family."

"Kyra Eleanor Hart!"

"Hey! What about me?

The camcorder is now on Jake.

"I'm Jake. I'm the oldest son because my dad just got another baby, but I'm the youngest in this house so I'm the one who gets picked on around here."

"That's not true. I pick on Cheyenne all the time."

"Shut up, Kyra!"

"Don't forget about me. I'm part of the family now, too. Right, Brock?"

The camera is now on Barbra Jean and Brock, who are sitting on the couch. Baby Henry was in his baby carrier asleep.

"You're part of my family, but not Reba's."

"Yes, I am. She told that principal lady that I was."

"Barbra Jean, I told Mrs. Hodge that you were my husband's pregnant hygienist/girlfriend. I never said that you were family."

"But you let me in here all the time. I've taken care of the kids and cleaned the house for you while you were at work."

"You're already here anyway. I just figure that you owe me for the disturbance that you cause every time you walk into my house uninvited. You owe me. I spent time working with you in the dental office. I've had to help you and Brock with your sex life, as disturbing as that is. I've helped you with Henry. You really owe me big."

"You do those things because you're my best friend." Barbra Jean goes back to focusing on Brock. She starts kissing him in front of the camera.

Reba points the camera at herself for a minute. "Now do you see why it's so easy to move on? I'm just trying to survive the craziness from day to day."

Just then, Brian walks through the door. Reba is startled and moves the camera away from her and Brian is seen. "Hey Reba, how are you doing on this fine day? What's with the camcorder?"

Reba whispers from behind the camera. "Oh, my Lord!"

"Hi there, everything is fine. Would you just excuse me for a second? I need to check on something in the kitchen. Just wait right here and have a seat."

Reba takes the camcorder into the kitchen and sets it on the kitchen's island countertop. She sits on a kitchen chair.

"Okay, Mike, I can explain this. I tried to move on by dating. I've been very lonely. There was a night where things got really close between Brian and me, but nothing happened. I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw your face. That's when I figured that I was doing the wrong thing. Apparently, you're the only one that I feel comfortable having ring-a-ding with; obviously not here in my house in Houston, but maybe back in McAlester in our apartment or wherever we can get to really fast in the bar because somehow we don't always make it upstairs." Reba giggles softly.

'The thing is that I promised to come back and love you forever; so here I am with this camera trying to give you the big picture. I do still love you. I just hope that you're okay with all this. This is my life and being with me comes with a package deal. My family is part of the package. We just have to work out when, where, and how it's gonna work out between us. I wouldn't blame ya if you ran for the hills after watchin' this videotape."

Just then, Cheyenne enters the kitchen. "Okay, Mom. What's wrong? Who are you making this tape for anyhow?"

"Cheyenne, I'm making this tape for an old friend."

"Yeah, right! Your face turned white when Brian came in. You're making this tape introducing all of us. Who in your life doesn't know us already?"

"Alright, Cheyenne, I've got a long-distance relationship going with a guy. We're not sure where it's goin'. Right now, we're just friends."

"Just friends, right, Mom? No way! Your face totally gives you away."

"I don't know if I can see Brian anymore. I don't love him."

"But you love this other guy?"

"Yes."

"Is this someone who you're comfortable having ring-a-ding with? Spill it. Will it be safe? Remember you have to know the guy's history."

"You may look like your father, but you definitely act like me when I was your age. It's a blessing and a curse. Yes, Cheyenne, it will be safe. I do know the guy's history very well, intimately in fact."

"Way to go, Mom! You've had ring-a-ding with this guy?"

"Cheyenne, I am not comfortable answering that question or having this discussion with my eighteen year old daughter."

"Mom, we've had a talk like this before. I'm married with a child of my own. Come on. Who else are you gonna talk about this with? Lori Ann isn't around. She's out of town."

"He's been married twice before. He has three sons. He's someone from Oklahoma and we dated before I dated your father."

"Was that before or after Parker Reynolds?"

"It was before Parker. Way before."

"So is he cute? Does he have a hot body? Is he a good kisser? I heard you telling Lori Ann that Parker was a bad kisser."

"Cheyenne! He's very cute, cuter than Brian. He does have a hot body. His kisses could start wildfires."

"Way to go, Mom! But if you haven't seen this guy for awhile, he could have turned out bald and old looking."

"No, Cheyenne, he hasn't. He's still good looking. I ran into him when I took you kids to Oklahoma to see Grandma and Grandpa McKinney."

"When you were separated from Dad?"

"Cheyenne, he was just a good friend at the time. He encouraged me to try to work things out with your father. He really cares about me as a person. He was just being a good friend. I trust him. I've told you before that I don't know where this is headed. We may just end up staying friends."

"Okay, Mom. Sure. You should see your face when you talk about him. You look like a teenager in love."

"Okay, Cheyenne. Stop teasin' me. Please don't say anything to anyone until I say so. There is no need to talk about this if nothin' is gonna happen. I mean it. Don't say anything to Van or anyone else."

"You mean don't say anything to Dad, right?"

"I mean that I don't want anyone to know because I don't want Barbra Jean to find out. She'll start up again with her 'Praise Jesus, Reba's finally found a man' stuff again."

"Got it. Mom, it's okay if you want to be with this guy. I'm totally fine with it. I'm sure that Kyra and Jake will be, too after we get to meet him. We love you, Mom. We just want you to be happy."

Reba hugged Cheyenne. "Thanks, honey. I love you, too. Now get back in there before Brian has to start talkin' to your dad and Barbra Jean."

Cheyenne went back into the living room. Reba started to speak to the camera again.

"That was Cheyenne. She turned out pretty great, huh? Just do me a favor. Please don't ever say anything to her about when I was pregnant with her. She doesn't know that Brock and I got married because I was pregnant with her. She doesn't know much about my past. I've never said anything about John. She has no idea that I almost considered running off to be with you. That should remain just between us. The ball is in your court now. Give me a sign, any sign that you still want to be with me; if so, I'll come right back to you with open arms. I'm ready to be with you and give my heart to you completely. Goodbye for now, Jack. Hopefully I'll see you soon."

The scene was black. Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Reba sent the tape to me. I called Mike and asked him how he still felt about Reba. He said that he still loved her so I sent him the videotape. Reba got her sign from Mike. He called Brock and invited him and Reba to a party with some old friends in McAlester. The two of them had no idea that they were really going to Terry's funeral. Mike didn't think that Reba would come if she knew that Terry had just passed away. Reba invited me to come along so I was blindsided when I got the news. My on-and-off relationship with Terry was over for good now. We had to say goodbye to one of our oldest and dearest friends. Reba first saw Mike at the bar with Brock by her side. She sang one of Terry's favorite songs to him. Mike had tears in his eyes when she was finished singin'. She decided to come back after she dropped Brock off at the hotel. 

The next scene began. Reba walked right into the Holliway bar. Mike was working behind the bar. It was evening and there weren't any customers in the bar because the bar was closed for the day. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Reba greeted.

"Better now that you're here. Hello, darlin'. It's great to see you again." Mike pulled her into his embrace. "I wasn't sure what to think when you came in here with Brock."

"Didn't you get my video? We're divorced. He's remarried. It's completely over. I just didn't know what to do. I've never told Brock much of anything. I want to keep my love life private, which is more consideration than he's ever given me. He parades his in front of me daily."

"I got the video. Sweetheart, I am so sorry that things turned out so badly for you. Terry died two days after I got the video. I called Brock because we were all friends once. I thought that he should have a chance to say goodbye. I figured that you wouldn't come to the funeral. I didn't want you to think that I called just to get you here for the funeral. I really wanted to see you. You're a sight for sore eyes, darlin'. It's so good to see you again."

Reba lifted her head up and kissed him. "Hi there, handsome!"

"Everything is just fine now that you're in my arms. Today has been a rough day. I'm glad that you are finally here. I wasn't sure if you would be coming back. I figured that you would get back together with Brock."

"You know Brock; he's all talk and no action. He's a very convincing liar. I don't want to spend another minute talking about him. Where do we go from here?"

"Well darlin', I figured that we'd dance, talk some more, and then sing together."

"That isn't what I meant."

"Oh well, we could go into my office for the ring-a-ding."

Reba slapped him upside the head gently. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Where do we go from here in the relationship?"

"Wherever you want it to go, darlin'. We can take it slow, if you want to. The last thing that I want is for you to get scared and leave again. How about a drink?"

"Are you trying to get me tipsy, Mr. Holliway?"

"It's been a hell of a day. I don't think that it's such a bad idea to get roarin' drunk. It's what Terry would've done if I'd been the one that died."

She held onto him tighter. "I'm so sorry, honey. You've had to deal with so much loss lately. First, I almost died. We lost the baby and then Terry really does die. It's been a bad year or so."

Reba started drinking shots with Mike and Lori Ann. Lori Ann can barely hold onto the camcorder anymore so she set it down on the bar counter. The mood in the room improves. They are talking and laughing. Reba gets up on stage to sing to Mike. She chooses to sing a Beatles song, "In My Life".

**There are places I remember  
All my life, though some have changed  
Some forever not for better  
Some have gone and some remain**

All these places had their moments  
With lovers and friends  
I still can recall  
Some are dead and some are living  
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers  
There is no one compares with you  
And these memories lose their meaning  
When I think of love as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection  
For people and things that went before  
I know I'll often stop and think about them  
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection  
For people and things that went before  
I know I'll often stop and think about them  
In my life I love you more  
In my life I love you more

When Reba was finished singing the song, Mike took her hand and led her off the stage. He pressed a button on the jukebox and started to slow dance with her.

"Hey you guys, I think that Terry would be really happy that you're together," Lori Ann commented.

Reba lifted her head off Mike's chest. She giggled. "I think so, too."

"Who do you think told me to call you guys? We're supposed to celebrate his life. He told me to stop being stubborn and make a move. That was the last piece of advice that he ever gave me."

Reba felt a rush of emotion. She was feeling the effects of the alcohol. She kissed him with all the passion she had stored up in her heart for the last year and a half. Her tongue started begging for an entrance and he let her in. He moved down to kiss her neck. He pulled away from her suddenly and swore.

"Damn, honey, we're supposed to be takin' things slow."

"You said that it was up to me. I've thought about this moment for a long time. I want you."

She kissed him again fast. He pulled away.

"Let's slow things down and play some pool."

He led her into the pool room. Lori Ann stayed at the bar counter with the whiskey bottle.

The scene goes black. When the next scene comes on, the clock on the wall shows that thirty minutes had passed since the last scene. Kim walks through the door of the bar. She is visibly pregnant. She looks about eight months pregnant. "Where's Mike?"

"In the back in the pool room with Reba, but I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Lori Ann cautioned.

"Are you kidding me? She came here with Brock. What is she doing back there with Mike?" Kim demanded.

She marched off towards the back room. Lori Ann grabbed the camcorder and followed her.

"She looks fightin' mad. I'm not missing this," Lori Ann said behind the camera.

When Lori Ann and Kim entered the pool room in the back, they saw Reba and Mike on the pool table. Their shirts were off. Mike's shirt was on the floor. Reba's shirt was in Mike's hand. He was in the process of trying to remove Reba's bra. They were not aware that anyone had walked into the room. Reba went from kissing Mike on the mouth to leaving a trail of kisses from his neck to his chest.

"Michael Holliway, what in the world is goin' on here?" Kim demanded. She had a scowl on her face and she was tapping her foot in anger.

"I'd like to know the answer to that question myself," Lori Ann remarked. She was trying not to laugh.

Reba just looked from Kim to Mike. She looked embarrassed to be caught in such a compromising situation by Mike's ex. Mike swore and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm gonna talk to Kim and then I'll be back to explain things to you. Reba, don't leave, please. Just wait for me with Lori Ann at the bar. This situation is complicated, but it's not what it looks like. I swear that I'm not the biological father of the baby that Kim's havin'."

"I sure hope not, for your sake!"

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will she walk out on Mike again? What's happening with Kim and Mike?

It's 2004. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews! That would be the best Christmas gift ever!**

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_I thank all of you for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_


	13. Reba's choice

_Dear Readers-_

_I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. _

_Happy New Year! I'm posting this chapter as a New Year's gift to my readers. I've been really busy lately. I know that I'm posting this a little late. Happy 2011!_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from the events of season one from fall 2002-spring 2003 and the events of season two in fall 2003-spring 2004.

_Note to readers: I want you to know that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the history of the couple. He was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place. He'll realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far._

Previously- Reba just looked from Kim to Mike. She looked embarrassed to be caught in such a compromising situation by Mike's ex. Mike swore and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm gonna talk to Kim and then I'll be back to explain things to you. Reba, don't leave, please. Just wait for me with Lori Ann at the bar. This situation is complicated, but it's not what it looks like. I swear that I'm not the biological father of the baby that Kim's havin'."

"I sure hope not, for your sake!"

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will she walk out on Mike again? What's happening with Kim and Mike?

It's 2004 in the story. What happens between 2004 and 2008? What happens in the present? Keep reading to find out more!

_Author's note-Reminders- Brock and Reba are divorced. Brock married Barbra Jean and vowed to be a better husband and father this time. This shook Reba to the core. Brock throws his money around with the kids while she struggles to pay the bills. This makes Reba very frustrated. She ends up helping Brock in situations because of her feelings for him. She had to watch Brock marry Barbra Jean. She was also at the hospital with Brock on the day that Barbra Jean gave birth to Henry. This really hurt because Reba should've been nine months pregnant with the baby that she lost. Prom night came and reminded Reba of Mike as she watched Cheyenne and Van dancing in her living room. The night that Brock came over to stay the night in the tree house was the night that Barbra Jean came over to get help with baby Henry. Reba had to care for Brock's new child on the night that would've been her due date. Reba struggles each month with her loss. The worse moment for her was when she started having flashbacks on Cheyenne's graduation day. She saw the moments from her past: giving birth to John, marrying Brock, giving birth to Cheyenne, and other moments during Cheyenne's childhood. She has fought to get over the dreams that she has of Brock. She is currently dating Brian. Brock and the kids attend Barbra Jean's family reunion. Reba can't allow herself to be intimate with Brian. At this point, she's thinking of Mike and wishing that she'd never left him. The story picks up from the second season of Reba. It's 2004._

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba sat at the bar with Lori Ann. Mike was in his office with Kim. Lori Ann had the camcorder on the bar, facing them. She got behind the bar.

"As long as we're here, we might as well finish gettin' drunk," Lori Ann remarked. She started pouring more whiskey into glasses. Reba took the glass and made a toast.

"To the past, leave it there because it can really come back to haunt ya. To Terry, may he rest in peace. To us, may we finally find someone that we can each spend the rest of our lives with."

"I'll drink to that!"

"I really feel like gettin' some revenge tonight. I'm so mad!"

"You're only sayin' that because you're not in the pool room gettin' lucky right now."

"No, I stood here earlier and sang Terry's favorite song right in front of Brock and Mike. Mike didn't do anythin', but give me the secret signal. Brock had tears in his eyes. He practically begged me to stay at the motel with him tonight to talk about Terry. He's not takin' this whole thing very well. I expected Mike to do somethin' to get things out in the open, but he didn't. I want a relationship; instead I've got two mo-rons who want to confuse the heck out of me. I'm not doin' the grief sex thing with Brock. If I'd stayed, it could've turned out that way."

"Instead you chose grief sex with Mike. At least you would've been on a bed with Brock. With Mike, you ended up on a pool table."

"Yes, but it was hot and excitin'. I've never done anythin' like that before. Every time we see each other, I wonder what will happen next. I kinda like that. It's never boring. It's like a roller coaster ride. I can usually predict exactly what would happen with Brock, down to every move that he makes. Barbra Jean can have him. I don't want that anymore. That's why I gotta break up with Brian. There is no way that I am ever goin' to fall in love with him like I love Mike. I'm gonna save myself the time and energy. I don't want safe, predictable, and dependable anymore. It hasn't gotten me the happily ever after that I've spent my life wishin' for."

"Brock is not that predictable or dependable. Did you predict that he would have an affair with Barbra Jean? Didn't he walk out on your marriage when you were depending' on him?"

Reba took another swallow of the burning liquid. "Yeah, who does he think he is anyway? Nobody plays around with my emotions like that. I need revenge. At least, Mike is in the doghouse with Kim. She'll give him plenty of grief over what she saw. She'll make him miserable. She's an ex-wife. It goes with the job description. I know exactly what I wanna do. I'm gonna call Barbra Jean and pretend to be at the motel with Brock. She's been callin' the motel because she's worried that he's gonna end up in bed with me."

"That's priceless. You should do that."

Reba picks up the phone on the bar and dials out for anonymous call to Barbra Jean's place without the number showing up on caller id. She sets the phone down on the bar counter and starts making moaning noises near the phone while Kim is leaving the bar. Mike comes out of his office.

"What is she doin'?" Mike whispered to Lori Ann.

"She's gettin' Brock in trouble with his new wife," she whispered back.

Mike whispers into Reba's ear. She stops for a second, obviously stunned by what he said to her, when she heard Mike making the same noises and moaning Reba's name with a Texas drawl. He grabbed Reba and started to really kiss her. Lori Ann ended the call.

"Okay, fun's over," Lori Ann declared.

Mike stopped kissing Reba. She stood there, silently stunned by the kissing.

Lori Ann leaned over and whispered to Reba, "He's turning you into jello again. Remember earlier? Are you gonna let him get away with that?"

Mike starts laughing. "Brock is gonna be in so much trouble when he gets home. That was actually a lot of fun. I haven't done anythin' like that in a long time."

Reba started laughing, too. "Yeah, me neither. How'd you do that thing with your voice?"

"In junior high and high school, Brock and I used to call girls on the phone to see if they could tell us apart. It was a pretty good trick. Most girls always thought that they were talkin' to Brock when they were talkin' to me."

"Oh, really? And what was the kissin' about?"

"I was makin' it sound as real as possible, darlin'. You wanted to get him in trouble, right? It had to sound real. If you want a real kiss, I'd be glad to oblige ya."

Reba held her hand up to stop Mike before he could kiss her lips. "Hold it! You still have some explaining to do to me. Got it?"

Mike cleared his throat. "Okay, honey, do ya remember what happened when you were here last?"

"Yeah! How could I forget? I came in here pregnant and you agreed to raise my child with me."

"That's what's happening' here with Kim."

"No. But why? You did that 'cause of the love that we share."

"Sal, honey, she's the mother of three of my children. She's alone. The father of the baby is gone. The baby will be a half brother or sister to my other children. Terry really wanted me to help her out in raising the baby. Family was really important to him, especially at the end. I'm tryin' to do the right thing here. We're not together at all. I'm just helpin' her out. I'm gonna help her raise the baby just in the same custody arrangement that we share with the other kids. We're gonna share the baby as a divorced couple livin' separately. There's nothin' else goin' on here. I promise. Kim got mad tonight 'cause I didn't talk to her first about you comin' here. She is pregnant, hormonal, emotional, and she's takin' Terry's death very hard."

"I can understand that. Why are ya such a nice guy? I wish that you weren't in this situation. I'm entirely comfortable with it. I feel that you should be supportin' Kim through this without me as a distraction. I love ya so much. I want to be with you, but this doesn't feel right this time. You've got some things to finish here with her. You've got to do that before we can be together. This is an experience that will bond the two of you, just like Brock and Barbra Jean did."

"Do not compare me to Brock. I'm not Brock."

"Jack, sweetheart, I'm not saying that. You are so insecure about Brock, aren't ya?"

"I've got a right to be. You keep runnin' back to him. First, you marry him after you admit that you still love me and we spend the night talkin' about bein' together. Next, you come to me for comfort 'cause he's left you for another woman. I sent you back to him to make sure that you were really free and clear of him. I didn't want anythin' to get in the way. You come back to me. You finally choose me. We plan to raise a child together and get married, but then you lost the baby and almost died. I was never so scared in all my life. You get out of the coma and I find out that you still love Brock. I let you go again 'cause I want ya to be really sure of us. You contact me and tell me that you finally really wanna be me, free and clear. Now, you seem ready to run again. Why, Sal? I love ya. That's never gonna change. Please don't leave me again."

"Havin' a child together really bonds two people. If John had lived, what do ya think would've happened to us?"

"We'd still be married today. We would've spent the last twenty years lovin' each other. We'd had more children, too."

"Exactly! We were gonna raise a baby together, but if that would've happened we wouldn't have the six wonderful kids that we have today. Your children are wonderful and you probably can't imagine your life without them. You married Kim and stayed married to her, even when you didn't wanna 'cause of those kids. Kim is their mother. You chose to marry her. You have to understand that I feel that same way 'bout my kids. I can't erase Brock from them. He's their father, but what's past is in the past. We can only go forward from here. You chose to stay by Kim. If I come between you now, I'll feel like a home-wrecker. Your kids will never understand that. You have to figure things out between you two without any outside interference. I'm not gonna be the Barbra Jean in this situation. I'm not gonna rip a fragile family unit apart!"

"But you're not, honey, I promise. We're divorced and we're not planning to get back together."

"You're havin' another baby with her. That's gonna come with some expectations from your kids. Steppin' aside right now is the right thing to do for all of us. I love ya. That's not gonna change no matter what. I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna break up with Brian 'cause that is also the right thing to do. I'll be in Houston waitin' for ya. I'm not comin' back in here next time. I'll wait for ya. We've got a deal in place to get married in the future so you know where I'll be. When things are finished with Kim here, then you come and find me. I'll welcome ya back in my life with open arms. I'm not walkin' out on ya now. I'm just sayin' see ya later. It's just goodbye for now, not forever. I'm still waitin' for the happily ever after with ya, you mo-ron."

_Author's note: I know that the following song came out in 2006, but for the purposes of this story I'm using it in 2004. The song seems to fit because Mike is two years older than Reba. They grew up together as next door neighbors because their families' properties were next to each other. They each grew up on a farm. They grew up as best friends before and after the Holliways lived in Texas. The Holliways moved back when Reba was 16 years old and that's when Reba started to hope for a future with Mike. If you have any questions, please go back to chapter two for some of the backstory._

Mike laughed. Reba got up on stage to sing another song, "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)".

**She said, I was seven and you were nine  
I looked at you like the stars that shined  
In the sky, the pretty lights  
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us  
Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled  
And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my  
Took me back to the house in the backyard tree  
Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me  
You never did, you never did  
Took me back when our world was one block wide  
I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried  
Just two kids, you and I...  
Oh my my my my  
I was sixteen when suddenly  
I wasn't that little girl you used to see  
But your eyes still shined like pretty lights  
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us  
They never believed we'd really fall in love  
And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes  
And said oh my my my...  
Took me back to the creek beds we turned up  
Two A.M. riding in your truck and all I need is you next to me  
Took me back to the time we had our very first fight  
The slamming of doors instead of kissing goodnight  
You stayed outside til the morning light  
Oh my my my my  
A few years had gone and come around  
We were sitting at our favorite spot in town  
And you looked at me, got down on one knee  
Took me back to the time we walked down the aisle  
Our whole town came and our mamas cried  
You said I do and I did too  
Took me home were we met so many years before  
We'll rock our babies on that very front porch  
After all this time, you and I  
I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine  
I'll still look at you like the stars that shine  
In the sky, oh my my my...**

When the song ended, Reba stepped down from the stage. She wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and looked up at him.

"In a couple of years or so, you'll come and find me. You'll get down on one knee and propose. We'll get married, and then we'll come back here and raise our children together. You said before that you wanted to grow old with me. I wanna grow old with you, too. You know where I'll be when you're ready. I'm letting you go now, but I know that you'll come back to me because somehow we always find our way back together. I know that it will happen again. This time, I'm not runnin'. I'm letting you go because it's what needs to happen right now. I love ya enough to let you go just like you've done for me before."

"I hate this, Sal. I don't want things to be this way." Mike pressed his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. "You're the most stubborn woman that I've ever met."

Reba wrote down her address, phone number, and e-mail address information for Mike and handed it to him. He took a hold of both of her hands in his. "I love ya, babe."

"I love you too, you mo-ron." Reba slapped him upside the head gently. "I'll be waitin' for ya, but you have a deadline. If we don't marry someone else by December 31, 2008, then we'll marry each other in Las Vegas just like the first time. If you don't find me by then, I'm gonna try to move on with my life. I can accept it if you decide to stay with Kim without any hard feelings because you're my best friend. I only want what's best for ya."

"That would be you, darlin'."

"Then you have to get this situation settled and help Kim through her time of need. I've waited twenty years to be with ya. I can stand to wait a little longer. You're worth it."

Reba moved in to kiss his lips one last time before leaving. Her lips searched and explored his mouth desperately like Mike did with his kiss the last time that they parted.

"Now that we've sealed the deal properly with a kiss. I gonna let you know that I plan on holdin' ya to our deal. We're gonna get married in 2008, if we don't get married sooner."

Reba gently laughed. "I'll be countin' the days, Jack. Good luck. See you soon."

"Bye, honey. I'll be seein' ya again as soon as I can."

Reba smiled and turned to leave Holliway's. Lori Ann followed Reba's exit. When Reba reached the door, she turned around to blow a kiss and wave to Mike before walking out the door.

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will Mike come back to Reba? What's happening with Kim and Mike this time? What's happening with Reba and Brock?

It's 2004. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. That would be the best New Year's gift ever!**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

I want to express my thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**

**Blaze Of Destruction**

**jennyleigh3reba**

**rnmrox**

**leesy96**

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**KayMcEntire**

**ScarlettLovesRhett**

**iNxC0NCERTx2010**

**rebafan4ever**

**Reba the country queen**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**TheRebaFan1**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	14. Lori Ann takes Reba out

_Dear Readers-_

_I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. I'm sorry that I'm posting this update a day late. I've been super busy lately._

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from the events of season two from February 2004-May 2004, the events of season three from fall 2004-spring 2005, and the events of season four in fall 2005.

Previously- "Then you have to get this situation settled and help Kim through her time of need. I've waited twenty years to be with ya. I can stand to wait a little longer. You're worth it."

Reba moved in to kiss his lips one last time before leaving. Her lips searched and explored his mouth desperately like Mike did with his kiss the last time that they parted.

"Now that we've sealed the deal properly with a kiss. I gonna let you know that I plan on holdin' ya to our deal. We're gonna get married in 2008, if we don't get married sooner."

Reba gently laughed. "I'll be countin' the days, Jack. Good luck. See you soon."

"Bye, honey. I'll be seein' ya again as soon as I can."

Reba smiled and turned to leave Holliway's. Lori Ann followed Reba's exit. When Reba reached the door, she turned around to blow a kiss and wave to Mike before walking out the door.

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will Mike come back to Reba or will she run back to him again? What's happening with Kim and Mike this time? What's happening with Reba and Brock?

**We left the story in chapter 13 in the year 2004. What happens between 2004 and 2008? What happens in the present? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Reminders- Reba broke up with Brian after the Valentine's Day episode. Brock's mother came to visit and told Reba that Brock still loved her. Cheyenne and Van have asked Brock and Barbra Jean to be Elizabeth's guardians in the event that something happens to them. Kyra has moved out of Reba's house to live with Brock and Barbra Jean. These events really anger Reba. Brock and Reba discovered that they still have some competitiveness between them during The Great Race. Cheyenne worries that her marriage will end just like Reba's did. Van starts playing arena football. Reba begins to like Barbra Jean. Brock starts golfing professionally and wants to stop being a dentist. Kyra has to flee to Reba's in the middle of the night because the fighting between Brock and Barbra Jean is getting bad. Barbra Jean is trying to fix Reba up with guys and wants them to double date. Reba breaks away from being responsible by joyriding in Rhonda, Van's new car. Brock starts therapy. Reba reveals that she was in therapy before. It would make sense that she would be on antidepressants if she'd had lost Brock and miscarried their baby. Reba and Barbra Jean start fighting because Reba is supporting Brock through his depression. Brock is taking "happy pills". Brock breaks down in front of Reba. He calls her his best friend. He seems to regret what he did to her and the kids. Brock tells Reba that he made a mistake leaving her for Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean kicks Brock out of their house. He moves back into his old condo. Reba starts going out with Barbra Jean because of Barbra Jean's "Two Girl Theory". Reba was drinking jello shots and a drink called the Pink Squirrel. She mentioned this drink to Brock._ _The Pink Squirrel is made from 2 parts crème de noyaux, 1 part white crème de cacao and 1 part light cream. If you want to know about the Tahitian Sunset, please refer to chapter seven. It's got a lot more alcohol in it than the Pink Squirrel does. __The story picks up from the fourth season of Reba. It's 2005 at this point in the story._

_I go through the episodes carefully to get good details to use in the story. I owe all the seasons. In this story, Van objects to Reba's outfit. I realize that in the episode, The Two Girl Theory, Van looks at Reba's outfit and comments with "Va, Va, Voom". Reba is clearly embarrassed. In this scene, Reba is wearing the outfit from The Two Girl Theory. The reactions will be different from the episode._

Now on with our next chapter-

The next scene came on. Reba sat at the bar with Lori Ann. Lori Ann was filming Reba sporadically with her phone. Lori Ann was out with Reba. Lori Ann doesn't like Reba going out to clubs with Barbra Jean.

"Come on, Reba, loosen up! We're here to have fun. Look at the gorgeous men here tonight."

"I know, but you should've seen the look on Brock's face last week after I went out with Barbra Jean. He's standin' in my kitchen, tellin' me about Barbra Jean missin' their marriage counseling session to go out barhoppin' with some slutty friend because one of his friends told him that Barbra Jean was out manhuntin' with a slutty friend, who's some old tramp. It was the funniest thing when I said 'surprise, I'm the slutty friend'. It was great! He's payin' for marriage counseling that his wife doesn't show up for because she's out barhoppin' with me. I kinda got revenge on him without meanin' to."

"You should. He's an idiot. He's probably drank away his last remainin' brain cells. He's not even worth another thought. It's justice that he's havin' marriage problems now."

"You should've seen his face when he walked into my house tonight to pick up Jake. It was priceless. He definitely didn't like what I was wearin'. He just stood there starin' at me with his mouth open for a couple of minutes before Van started objectin' to my outfit. That's when he started voicin' his objections, too. I guarantee that he wouldn't have objected to this outfit if I had worn it to go out with him when we were married."

"Reba, the man is not worth another thought. We've got lots of hot lookin' men in front of us. You went out with Barbra Jean every night last week. It's my turn to show you how it's done."

"This would be a lot more fun if we were in Oklahoma. We've always had a lot of fun in McAlester."

"Sure. We had fun in Holliway's. You just love hookin' up with Mike anywhere that you can."

"Lori Ann, you hold the record for the most hookups at Holliway's. I can't even count the number of times that you've shouted Terry's name at the top of your lungs."

"Not much chance of that happenin' now is there."

"Lori Ann, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset ya. I just like to look back on that part of the past very fondly. When we're in McAlester, there's no Brock and no Barbra Jean. I've gotten to kick Kim's butt. It's very satisfyin' to see her face when she sees Mike with me. I've gone over every memory in my mind millions of times. I look at all these guys and not one of them can compare to him."

"Reba, it's been a year and a half. If he were done with Kim, he would've shown up by now. You've got to let it go and move on."

"My mind knows that. My heart is another matter. You know the only thing more satisfyin' than seein' Kim's face when I'm in Mike's arms would be seein' Brock's face. I told Brock over and over again when I was with Mike that he'd never get me to forget Mike. Why do women give in to brief meaningless attractions? That's what got me in trouble with Brock in the first place."

"Reba, those are the best kind. You only need one of those for a short time before movin' on to the next one. It's fun."

"Where were you twenty-one years ago? Why didn't tell me that back then?"

"I tried to tell you that Brock had a thing for ya. You should've had condoms in your purse. I've always lived by that rule."

"I didn't plan on havin' sex with Brock that night. It was an accident. I didn't think that I would get pregnant that night that Brock and I had sex on the beach. It was our first time."

"You didn't think that you'd get pregnant the first time that you ever had sex either and look how that turned out. Remember?"

"That didn't matter so much when I felt that life growin' inside of me. The baby brought Mike and I back together. He actually left Kim twice to be with me, once before I had the baby and then again just before I married Brock. I'm not sorry about that."

"This conversation is too serious for me. Let's get some drinks and have some fun."

"Order a Pink Squirrel for me."

"No way! You are out with me. Let's order Tahitian Sunsets."

"Lori Ann, I don't know about that. There's a lot of liquor in those. We're not young and wild enough to drink Tahitian Sunsets anymore."

"Speak for yourself. I'm orderin' us some of those. I'll be a good friend. Here put some of these in your purse." Lori Ann took a few condoms out of her purse and stuffed them into Reba's purse.

"Lori Ann!"

"I'm just being responsible. Now let's go follow the brief meaningless attractions. We need to get you back on the man." Reba blushed and laughed.

Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

I quickly went and got the drinks. By the time that Reba had three of those drinks; she was flirting and dancing with many good looking guys. By the time that Reba had drank about six of those drinks, she was so drunk that she didn't know who she was with. That was when Mike showed up. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Reba was so drunk.

Mike slow danced with Reba. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her in a kiss.

"Mike, she's a lot to drink. She doesn't normally drink this much. We need to get her home."

Lori Ann's voice came on to narrate.

Lori Ann's Narration-

Mike drove us back to Reba's house. The house was empty. Fortunately, no one was there to see Reba so drunk. He carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. All Mike was supposed to do was put Reba to bed to sleep it off. That's when things got interesting.

"Stay with me here tonight. I love you." Reba murmured. She reached out to touch his hair and put her lips on his. Mike was so shocked that he lost his footing. They fell onto the bed. Mike was on top of Reba. Reba continued to kiss him. "I can't believe that you're really here," she whispered. Then she laughed. "You like what I'm wearing, don't you? I knew that you would." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again.

"I have to film this. She's isn't goin' to remember any of this tomorrow."

"Lori Ann, she's not that drunk."

"Go ahead and ask her somethin'."

"Reba, honey, do you know who I am?"

"Of course! Welcome home, darlin'. I've missed you so much!"

"Well, I'm satisfied. See, I told ya. You have nothin' to worry about. She's fine. I'm gonna talk to her about gettin' married in the mornin'."

Reba laughed again.

"Something is not right with her. Reba, do you know who that is?"

"Lori Ann, I know my own husband." She started to kiss him again. "Hi."

"She seems fine to me. Stop worryin'." He smiled at Reba. "We're gonna get married again as soon as possible. I want to be her husband. I know that's what she wants too."

Reba pulled him down to her. "I love you so much, Brock," she murmured softly.

Mike pulled away from her quickly as if he'd been burnt. Lori Ann laughed. "I told ya."

"I thought that if I gave her enough time. She'd be ready and she'd be over Brock. I see that's not the case. What's been goin' on around here?"

"Brock is separated from the bimbo. He told Reba that he'd made a mistake in leavin' her. He's been hangin' around here a lot."

"Are they involved again?"

"No. He comes over to spend time with the kids. That's it. He hasn't made a move on her at all."

Reba was passed out on the bed. "D- it! I can't even talk to her. I've gotta go."

"Wait. You can talk to her in the morning."

"I'm not getting into this again. She left me because she didn't wanna be with me while she was still in love with Brock. She's still not over him yet. I can give her some more time. She'll either get back together with him or she'll be with me. It was nice seeing you, Lori Ann. Don't tell her that I was here. Let her sort things out on her own."

_Reba was sitting on her bed, watching the video. Her cheeks were crimson. Her head was bent down for a minute, while she processed what she just saw._

She lifted her head up and looked at Mike, taking his hand. She started speaking slowly and carefully. "I have no idea why I said that. I'm so sorry. I'd had too much to drink. I'd never want to hurt you like that. I was out of my mind. You have every right to be angry with me. This explains a lot, especially your silence all this time. I don't blame you anymore for not calling me. If you'd done that to me, I'd be angry with you, too."

"Are you done being mad at me?"

"No, that doesn't excuse what happened on our anniversary. I'm just less mad."

"Good. Do you think that we could start over and forget the whole thing? I'd like us to spend some time together talking and hashing things out."

Reba nodded and then turned towards Barbra Jean. "I'm so sorry. I want you to know that nothing happened when you were separated from Brock. I would never want to hurt you like that either. Believe me; I have no interest in your husband whatsoever."

Barbra Jean smiled. "Reba, you're my best friend. I trust you. Don't give it a second thought. How about you let me flirt a little with this guy and we'll call it even." She inched closer to where Mike was standing.

Reba instantly glared at her. "Barbra Jean, back off! This man is mine and I'm not sharing him with you."

Mike looked into Reba's eyes and smiled. He took her hand and lifted it to her lips. "I do believe that we've got off to a good start, darlin'."

Reba quickly masked the emotions on her face. "That's enough of that. Let's watch the video."

"Honey, can we talk about who's the boss of who later? Right now, I'd just like to see a smile beneath that steel mask of yours."

"What are you talking about? You've been gone for years this time. You don't know me anymore."

"Honey, I've known you for thirty-seven years now. I just saw you a couple of months ago. Things haven't changed that much."

"We spent less than an hour together. That doesn't count. If I remember correctly, we said everything that we had left to say then."

"That's only because you want to be in control all the time. People do argue. It doesn't mean that the relationship is over."

"Jack, I threw a glass bottle at your head."

"But you weren't really aiming for my head. You were mad. That's all. I'm sorry that I hurt you. You said some things that hurt me, too. Come on, Sweetheart. Let's move past that into a neutral area."

"Fine, but I still reserve the right to get mad at ya if there's anything else I don't like on the video."

"Fine, you win. I give up. Now smile for me, please." Mike lifted his hand and rubbed her cheek. Reba brushed her cheek against his touch. She gave him a small smile.

Reba turned her attention back to the video.

The scene on the video ended when Mike left Reba's room after she passed out. In the next scene, Reba was sitting in her kitchen with Lori Ann the next morning.

"You wouldn't believe the dream that I had last night. I had the sex dream about Brock again." Reba had her head bent down. Her eyes were closed and she was shaking her head in disbelief.

Lori Ann laughed.

"That's not funny, Lori Ann. I have to make this stop. Mike won't wanna be with me if he thinks that he'll lose me again. I can't possibly want Brock. He thinks that it's repulsive to have another child with me. He had a vasectomy and hid it from me so he could get his own way. I'm not gonna be with someone like that. I've got a good chance for happiness with Mike."

Brock walks into the kitchen through the back door. "And here comes your dream man," Lori Ann whispered to Reba.

Reba sent a look of fury to Lori Ann.

"What are you doin' here?" Reba said with obvious disdain.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine. I came to have breakfast with Jake," Brock replied, still smiling and trying to coax Reba out of her bad mood.

"Have you ever heard of an invention called the telephone? Normally, divorced couples use it to communicate about visitation."

"How much did you have to drink last night? You're not normally this angry unless you have a killer hangover," Brock said, putting his hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Don't touch me. My private life is none of your business, you mo-ron." Reba got up from her chair, slapped him upside the head hard, and then she elbowed him in the stomach.

Brock looked over at Lori Ann after he recovered from the blow. "What is wrong with her today?"

"Do you mean in general? Or do you mean for the last twenty-two years?" Lori Ann said, laughing.

"Watch it, Lori Ann!" Reba glared at Lori Ann. "I honestly don't know why I put up with you anymore," Reba said to Brock before stomping out of the room.

"Geez, Red's in a mood," Brock commented.

Lori Ann laughed again. "You have no idea."

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will she be able to stop thinking about Brock? What's happening with Brock and Reba?

It's 2005 in the video. You've gotten a taste of what happening in 2008. To find out more, stay tuned to read the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. **

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**

**Blaze Of Destruction**

**jennyleigh3reba**

**rnmrox**

**leesy96**

**FakeCubicZirconium**

**KayMcEntire**

**ScarlettLovesRhett**

**iNxC0NCERTx2010**

**rebafan4ever**

**Reba the country queen**

**Janie Dear**

**RebaFan4Forever**

**TheRebaFan1**

**MaileS**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	15. Introducing Jack Morgan

_Dear Readers-_

_I'm so sorry that I let two weeks go without a new chapter. I've been so sick. I've been in bed for awhile with a virus. Two of my kids also came down with it. I'm finally feeling a little bit better so I decided to get back to my writing. A review or comment would be a great way to cheer me up right now. _

_I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Please let me know if you like having the reminders of season episodes' events in the story as background in the story. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim Campbell, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from the fourth season of Reba from fall 2005-spring 2006.

Previously- "How much did you have to drink last night? You're not normally this angry unless you have a killer hangover," Brock said, putting his hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Don't touch me. My private life is none of your business, you mo-ron." Reba got up from her chair, slapped him upside the head hard, and then she elbowed him in the stomach.

Brock looked over at Lori Ann after he recovered from the blow. "What is wrong with her today?"

"Do you mean in general? Or do you mean for the last twenty-two years?" Lori Ann said, laughing.

"Watch it, Lori Ann!" Reba glared at Lori Ann. "I honestly don't know why I put up with you anymore," Reba said to Brock before stomping out of the room.

"Geez, Red's in a mood," Brock commented.

Lori Ann laughed again. "You have no idea."

What will happen to Reba and Mike this time? Will she be able to stop thinking about Brock? What's happening with Brock and Reba?

**We left the story in chapter 14 in the year 2005. What happens between 2005 and 2008? What happens in the present? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Reminders- Lori Ann moved away from Houston. It seems like a permanent move. Reba is lonely because she doesn't have her best friend around anymore. Van got a new contract signed. He accidentally got into Reba's bed because he was so drunk. That was hilarious. Brock and Barbra Jean are barely speaking to each other. Reba holds a party to celebrate Van's new contract. Van and Cheyenne face a serious crisis in their marriage because Van is traded to Denver. __Brock is becoming lonely in the condo all by himself so he begins to hang around Reba's house more often, sometimes without Reba's knowledge. Cheyenne is also becoming lonely with Van being gone all week up in Denver. He only comes home on weekends. Reba and Brock try to tell her that Van is probably just as upset in Denver without her there only to find out when Van comes home that he is having a blast and has made tons of friends. This is hard for Cheyenne to deal with. Brock and Barbara Jean begin going to therapy with Dr. Baker where they realize that Reba is one of the main problems in their relationship. Dr. Baker asks to speak with Reba where he confronts Reba and Brock and asks if they still have feelings for each other. They both contemplate the question before Barbara Jean walks in to interrupt before they can answer. _

_Reba encourages Brock to follow his heart if that means pursuing his dream of playing professional golf, but Barbra Jean is less-than-thrilled with Reba's advice, worrying that it will mean the end of her marriage. Meanwhile, Cheyenne tries to soothe Van's fear that playing arena football in Denver is costing him precious time with his daughter. Van is missing out on important events like Elizabeth starting preschool.__ Brock and Barbra Jean get back together. Reba helps Brock repair his relationship with Kyra. Barbra Jean and Reba clash over Thanksgiving dinner. There is a compromise because Reba wants the family to be together and the kids want to have dinner with Brock. Memories are brought up that make Barbra Jean feel left out. Brock and Reba have another moment of closeness during Thanksgiving. Reba initiates her 'No Boys Upstairs' rule with Kyra. Van comes home from Denver with any injury. He can't play pro football anymore. Reba works to help Van learn to manage his football settlement money after he goes wild with his spending. Barbra Jean buys a dog that she names Broq. Barbra Jean needs Reba's help when she reveals a crush on her marriage counselor. Reba meets Dr. Morgan and he asks her out. Brock tells Reba to be careful with Barbra Jean's feelings because of the crush. Reba is forced to choose between dating Dr. Morgan and her friendship with Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean tells Reba to date the hunky doctor. The only problem is that Barbra Jean can't stop kissing him whenever she's near him. _

_Reba loses her problem because she couldn't control her temper around Eugene. She starts selling real estate. Her first sale is Brock's old condo. There's a lot of conflict between Reba and Brock. Brock starts giving Van marriage advice. Van sends Cheyenne flowers. Cheyenne thinks that they're from another man, who she spent time with while Elizabeth was at a play date. Reba starts playing poker online. __Reba ends up talking with a man in the chat room who she is beating badly. They both end up really interested in each other until Reba finds out this man lives in Houston and is someone she knows: Brock. Barbra Jean loses her dog. Reba lets Barbra Jean compete in the Pageant of the Grandmas at Jake's school after they each train to compete against each other in the pageant. Reba is interviewed for a job with Dolly Majors. Reba is discovered to not be the shark-like seller that Dolly is looking for. Kyra gets a drivers' license. Cheyenne is a bad singer, but Van support her singing efforts. Barbra Jean and Reba sing a duet in a karaoke bar. Barbra Jean and Van help Jake train to try out for a football team that Brock will coach. Brock hopes that this will help him spend more time with Jake. Jake is so aggressive on the field. Brock and Jake are banned from the league for a year. Reba hires Van to be her assistant at work. Reba finds an empty bottle of alcohol in Cheyenne's closet and blames Van. Cheyenne finally go to an AA meeting after pressure from Van, who is under pressure from Reba. Cheyenne announces to the family that she's an alcoholic. Reba tries to support her as Cheyenne explains why she felt like she needed to drink. _

_It's 2006 at this point in the story._

Now on with our next chapter-

The next scene came on. Reba was sitting in front of the camcorder again in this scene.

"Hi, Jack. I bet you're surprised to hear from me again. I know that it's been over two years since we last saw each other. I had hoped that enough time had gone by. I miss you. I had hoped that you'd still wanna be with me. I can understand if you've chosen to be with Kim again. I told you that raising a child together can bond people. I wish I knew what was goin' on. I'd like to get some closure if we're over. When I left the last time, we had a deal. We said that in a couple of years or so, you'd come and find me. You'd get down on one knee and propose. We'd get married, and then we'd come back to McAlester and raise our children together. You said before that you wanted to grow old with me. I wanna grow old with you, too. You've known where I've been all this time. I gave you my address, e-mail address, and phone number. You haven't called or tried to contact me at all. I let you go before because I thought that you'd come back to me because somehow we always find our way back together. I was hoping that it would happen again. This time, I didn't run away from you because I was scared. I was just tryin' to do the right thing for you and your kids.

I let you go because it's what needed to happen then. I love ya enough to let you go just like you've done for me before. I've spent so much time second guessing myself over the last two years. The thing is that it feels like a part of me has died. It's a thousand times worse than when Brock left me. I know that I can't keep doing this to myself. This whole situation is my fault. The way that I feel about you has always scared me because I'm afraid that you'll leave me again. You saw what happened before. My heart can't take much more stress. I think that you're staying away because you heard that Brock was separated from his wife. I figured that Lori Ann or my folks must have told you about it. I worked so hard to help Brock and Barbra Jean get back together. I thought that I made myself clear before. I choose you. I don't want Brock in that way anymore. I need to know where I stand with you so I'm letting you know that I'm not gonna wait for you much longer. I am dating a wonderful man and I want to be free to fall in love again if it's not gonna work out for you and me. I know what you're thinking and I wanna let you know that it's not serious right now. The relationship is only at the dating and kissing stage. It could be more. That doesn't mean that I want you to walk away from us. I just want ya to finally make a move. I want you to remember everything that we meant to each other. If that doesn't make you wanna be with me, then it's okay if we're over. I'm really glad that we had another chance. I definitely didn't think that would happen twenty-two years ago. I'm grateful for the time that we spent together. You were there for me when I was at my lowest. I'll never be sorry that I knew you.

I want you to remember when you first came back to McAlester. You were in three of my classes and we were cast together in Romeo and Juliet. I figured that it had to be fate for us to be thrown together so much. I remember when we'd only talk in French and it would drive everyone crazy. I still remember some of my French, too.

Je t'aime de tout mon cœur. C'est pour toi que je suis. Tu es ma meilleure amie y amour de ma vie. J'veux etre avec toi. On pardonne tant que l'on aime. Tu me manques. Je veux passer la reste de ma vie avec vous. Dans tes bras c'est mon destin.

_Author's note- Translation- I love you with all my heart. I am here for you. You are my best friend and love of my life. I want to be with you. Where there is love, there is forgiveness. I miss you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. My destiny is in your arms._

I want ya to look into the future. Do you see us together at all? If you don't and that doesn't break your heart, then I guess that we're over. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm pretty tough. I have survived much worse. I've even cheated death. I just wanna let you know that it definitely was fun while it lasted. You're the best time that I ever had.

We could still be friends. I'd really like that. I don't want us to lose contact again. It's been a hard couple of years. Lori Ann moved away. Kyra moved in with Brock. He actually took one of my babies away from me. That is something that I will never forget. I see her often, but it isn't the same. Cheyenne is studying to become a dentist. Barbra Jean has become a strong presence in our lives. She's become like another mother to my kids. That was something that I was afraid of. I have to deal with that crazy woman several times a day. Van is playing pro arena football. He was traded to Denver and I've had to help Cheyenne take care of Elizabeth. They had to live separately for awhile and it took a toll on their marriage. Van got hurt and couldn't play football anymore. Cheyenne was struggling to be the breadwinner. I lost my job. I finally got into selling real estate. College seems further and further away from me. Kyra is a singer in a band. She started driving. Her band got a gig performing at a USO event for soldiers leaving for Iraq. Jake started playing football, but he got banned for being too aggressive. Cheyenne was under so much stress that she started drinking to deal with her life. She started going to AA for help. It's so hard for me to see her dealing with being an alcoholic. My life sounds really depressing, doesn't it? I've often thought about how things would be if I hadn't left you when I got out of the hospital four years ago. I think that it would've been easier to raise the kids in a loving, two parent household. Brock continues to look like the better parent because he's got plenty of money and a loving, two-parent household where they sit down to a home cooked meal every night at six o'clock.

I've often wondered why I always choose the hard road. I think that doing the right thing hasn't gotten me anywhere or brought me any happiness. If I could do it all again, I'd do things differently. I would've never walked away from you in the first place. I could show ya what my life is like better than I can tell ya. I'm gonna take the camera downstairs now and show you how my family is doing."

Reba took the camcorder and went downstairs where the family was.

"Hey, Mom, why are you filming again?" Cheyenne asked.

"I'm making a video for Lori Ann and my other Oklahoma friends."

"Okay. What about that guy from Oklahoma? What happened to you guys? Is this for him?"

"We're gonna stay friends. That's all that we ended up doing. I didn't want to lose the friendship. It got very complicated."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know that you really loved him."

"Cheyenne, it wouldn't have worked out anyway. He lives in McAlester, Oklahoma and I live in Houston, Texas. Besides I'm dating Jack now."

"Are you two in a hot middle-age love affair?"

"Cheyenne! Of course not! Not right now. It could go there eventually."

"Where's Jake?"

"He's in the backyard playing football with Van. Elizabeth is outside playing, too."

"Wonderful. I'll get a shot of everyone."

Reba followed Cheyenne out the back door of the kitchen into the backyard. Kyra came by with some of the members of her band.

"Hey, Mom! Can we practice in your garage today? Dad is going to use his tanning bed again."

Kyra and Reba both shudder at the thought.

"Sure thing, sweetie. Will you be staying for dinner? Everyone is home tonight and I'm making meatloaf."

"Sure, Mom. Sounds good." Kyra took her friends into the garage to practice.

Elizabeth was playing with her Barbie dolls by the house while Van was going over some plays with Jake.

"Hi, Mom! Watch what Van showed me."

Just then, Brock and Barbra Jean approached.

"Hey Reba, Whatcha doin'?" Barbra Jean asked.

"Filming the kids."

"Can we get a copy of that?" Brock asked.

"Sure. I'll make that my top priority." Reba said sarcastically.

"What's wrong with you today?"

"It's the same thing that happens every day. You two barge over uninvited and unannounced. Don't you two have anything else to do? Make your own video of the kids, okay?"

"Gosh, Reba. I'm sorry. We just needed to ask you a favor."

"What do you want?"

"Brock's trying to ask you if you'll watch Henry for us tonight so we can go out. Cheyenne and Van are going out. Kyra's watching Elizabeth."

"Are you serious? I have a life, you know? Actually, I have a date with Dr. Morgan tonight. He's coming over for dinner and then we're goin' out."

"Please, Reba! We need to go out tonight."

"Fine. You can ask Kyra if she can watch Henry over here tonight while she's babysitting Jake and Elizabeth. She's in the garage. Be prepared to pay big bucks."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, best friend."

"Barbra Jean, I am not your best friend."

"Sure, you are."

"Barbra Jean, you have to go now. Mom is making the video for a guy."

"Cheyenne!"

"Are you making this for Dr. Morgan?"

"She's making this for the Oklahoma guy."

"Watch it, Cheyenne!"

"I'm just letting her know that you have a love life that she knows nothing about. They can't come around expecting you to drop everything for them anymore."

"Okay. Thanks, Cheyenne."

"Who's the guy?" Brock asked.

"I don't have to answer that. It's none of your business."

"Why do you get two guys and I get only one?" Barbra Jean whined.

"Because I've got the body of a twenty year old. You stole the one you have. I didn't have to steal a man to get one."

"Can we not talk about your body?" Van yelled. Reba, Cheyenne, and Barbra Jean burst out laughing.

Jack Morgan's car pulled into Reba's driveway. He got out of the car. Barbra Jean went rushing towards him. She squealed.

"Hi, there! I'm so glad that you're here." Barbra Jean started smelling his jacket.

"Barbra Jean, we've talked about this. You are still married to Brock, aren't you?"

"I guess." Barbra Jean didn't try to hide her disappointment. She started making purring noises at Dr. Morgan.

"Oh for the love of grits and gravy, Barbra Jean. You're a grown woman. Quit acting like a little silly schoolgirl."

"Reba, I can't help it. He's like orange chicken for the eyes." "You look so good today, Dr. Morgan. Every time I see you is a pleasure." Barbra Jean started giggling.

"Thank you, Barbra Jean. I'm here to see Reba."

"Seriously, what does this guy got that I haven't got?" Brock remarked.

"The answer would be me. He's also way hotter than you. To sum it all up, your wife has the hots for him. She can't keep her hands off of him. Your ex-wife spends most of her time kissing him and picturing him without any clothes on. Any questions?"

"That's not all. I picture him naked, too."

"Barbra Jean, please take your husband home to bed and leave us alone. I'm sure that Brock can adequately satisfy your needs."

"Hey! Adequately? That's a cheap shot."

"Well Brock, it barely qualified as sufficient when we were together; so consider adequate a compliment."

"Hey, Red. You wanna trade insults?"

"Brock, I've been with other men. Believe me, they were way more capable of satisfying my needs. In fact, my experiences were quite exceptional."

Reba put the camcorder down on the tree house and walked towards Dr. Morgan. "Hi. You do smell good today."

Before Reba can get to him, Barbra Jean moves in. She grabs Dr. Morgan and kisses him passionately.

"Barbra Jean, get your lips and your hands off my boyfriend!" "Brock, would you kindly get your wife off my boyfriend now?"

"Come on, Barbra Jean. Let's go talk to Kyra."

Barbra Jean lets go of Dr. Morgan. "I'm so sorry. You are a wonderful, wonderful man." Barbra Jean says to Dr. Morgan.

"That's okay, Barbra Jean," Dr. Morgan responded.

Barbra Jean walked away with Brock, singing "Amazing Grace".

"She took my gum again."

"I took gum away from a guy once too."

"Oh, yeah? Who was it?"

"My first boyfriend in high school."

"Really? You're gonna have to tell me about that sometime."

"You know she's really gotta stop doin' that. She's already got a husband. How many more men does she need?"

"I know."

"I can't blame her too much though. You're very attractive. I have a hard time keeping my lips and hands off you, too."

"Who says that you should?"

"Aren't we supposed to be taking things slow?"

"If I move slowly enough, can I kiss you?" With that comment, Dr. Morgan moved in to kiss Reba. He puts his arms around her as he kissed her. Reba moved her hands up Jack's shirt to his shoulders as she returned the kiss.

When the kiss ended, Reba responded, "Oh, Jack! That was so good!" They parted. Reba backed away from Jack.

"Is something wrong?"

"I really wish that I could explain it to ya." Reba said before turning to glance at the camera.

"You could explain it now. You've never actually reacted that way to kissing me before. Are you okay?"

"Sure. I'm fine. Did I tell ya that we're having meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight?"

"No, you didn't. I like that meal."

"Good. We'll be eating with the kids tonight and then we'll go out on our date."

They stood there silently. Reba forgot about everyone else around her. She rushed up to Jack, grabbed him by the shirt, and kissed him fiercely.

Jake yelled, "Ugh, my eyes!"

Cheyenne commented, "Hey, Mom. The video camera is still recording."

Reba broke off the kiss quickly. "Oh my Lord, Jack. I really like you."

"I really like you too, Reba."

Van remarked, "Hey you two, get a room."

Reba turned around to look at Van when she heard that remark. Instead of seeing Van's face, she saw Terry's face. She looked at the camera. When she looked at Jack's face, she saw Mike's face.

"Would you excuse me for a second?"

She turned and ran inside the house with tears in her eyes.

**The story picks up from after the fifth and sixth seasons of Reba from fall 2006-spring 2008. **

_Author's note- Reminders- Barbra Jean signs Reba up for an online dating service. The family realizes that Reba has given up her own personal life and dating in order to devote herself full-time to her family. Brock seemed to get jealous when Reba seems to find "the one", but Reba is only using that as a cover to spend time alone and relax. Reba gets into a real estate partnership with Van. Reverend Parks (aka Reverend Yummy Pants) is interested in dating Reba. Barbra Jean flirts with the reverend herself. Reba takes in some Hurricane Katrina survivors. Jake and the family play a huge prank on Reba for Halloween. This renews her Halloween spirit. It's her favorite holiday. _

_Reba goes on a diet with Barbra Jean and Cheyenne. Cheyenne decides to devote herself to helping people more. She changes her career goal from being a dentist to being a drug and alcohol counselor. Barbra Jean's brother, Buzzard visits the family for Thanksgiving. Barbra Jean starts beating Brock up in her sleep. Reba takes care of Brock when he gets kidney stones and Barbra Jean is out of town. This leads to some uncovered feelings as they share memories. They agree to renew their friendship and trade insults less. Barbra Jean and Reba fight over parenting skills. Brock gets audited by the IRS. He owes $75,000. _

_He has to sell his house. He decides to move away because he feels bad about putting Reba through so much again. She convinces him to stay. Reba buys Brock and Barbra Jean's house and becomes their landlord. Jack Morgan comes back to romance Reba. However, he is still married. This makes Reba "the other woman". Reba breaks up with him. Reba gets laser eye surgery. Court mandated therapy ends for the family. _

_Reba finds out that she has high blood pressure. Cheyenne and Van have a second wedding to renew their vows. They fight before the ceremony. Barbra Jean takes the opportunity to renew vows with Brock. This is too much for Reba to take. She passes out during the ceremony. Reba ends up in the hospital. Barbra Jean loses weight. Cheyenne gets pregnant again. Van leaves his partnership with Reba to join Steve Norris' company because it's more money for the growing family. _

_Kyra moves back home. Barbra Jean becomes a TV Weathergirl. Brock gets his vasectomy reversed. Reba makes a new friend in future Weathergirl, Kelly. Cheyenne and Van find out that they are having a boy. Brock tries to stay in Reba's garage so he can separate from Barbra Jean. Reba catches him in her shower. Brock actually likes that. He starts flirting with Reba. She pretends to be unaffected. _

_Brock and Barbra Jean decide to get divorced. Cheyenne and Van buy a house of their own. Brock is actually torn up over the split with Barbra Jean. They still are attracted to each other. The physical attraction leads to a brief reconciliation. Kyra and Reba fight over whether or not Kyra should go to college. Van accidentally sets his new house on fire. Reba decides that her crazy life is exactly the way that it should be. She tells Barbra Jean that she is her best friend. Barbra Jean gets a job in Little Rock, Arkansas, but then changes her mind. _

_It's finally 2008 at this point in the story._ It is now June 2008.

The next scene came on. Reba let her thoughts drift to the past while watching the scene. Her thoughts went back to the time when Kim showed up on her doorstep in Houston.

"_Wow, has hell frozen over? What are you doin' here, Kim?" Reba asked._

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Why is Kim on Reba's doorstep? Will Reba be able to stop thinking about Mike? What's happening with Brock and Reba?

It's finally 2008. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. **

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	16. Reba's frenemy

_Dear Readers-_

_I wanted to let you know that my new chapters will be posted on Sundays or Mondays, depending on how busy things get for me. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Please let me know if you like having the reminders of season episodes' events in the story as background in the story. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the fifth and sixth seasons of Reba from fall 2006-spring 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- They stood there silently. Reba forgot about everyone else around her. She rushed up to Jack, grabbed him by the shirt, and kissed him fiercely.

Jake yelled, "Ugh, my eyes!"

Cheyenne commented, "Hey, Mom. The video camera is still recording."

Reba broke off the kiss quickly. "Oh my Lord, Jack. I really like you."

"I really like you too, Reba."

Van remarked, "Hey you two, get a room."

Reba turned around to look at Van when she heard that remark. Instead of seeing Van's face, she saw Terry's face. She looked at the camera. When she looked at Jack's face, she saw Mike's face.

"Would you excuse me for a second?"

She turned and ran inside the house with tears in her eyes.

The next scene came on. Reba let her thoughts drift to the past while watching the scene. Her thoughts went back to the time when Kim showed up on her doorstep in Houston.

"_Wow, has hell frozen over? What are you doin' here, Kim?" Reba asked._

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Why is Kim on Reba's doorstep? Will Reba be able to stop thinking about Mike? What's happening with Brock and Reba? What happening with Jack and Reba? Who will she choose?

It's finally 2008. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 15 in the year 2006 with a cliffhanger to introduce events in 2008. What happens between now in 2008? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Reminders- Barbra Jean signs Reba up for an online dating service. The family realizes that Reba has given up her own personal life and dating in order to devote herself full-time to her family. Brock seemed to get jealous when Reba seems to find "the one", but Reba is only using that as a cover to spend time alone and relax. Reba gets into a real estate partnership with Van. Reverend Parks (aka Reverend Yummy Pants) is interested in dating Reba. Barbra Jean flirts with the reverend herself. Reba takes in some Hurricane Katrina survivors. Jake and the family play a huge prank on Reba for Halloween. This renews her Halloween spirit. It's her favorite holiday. _

_Reba goes on a diet with Barbra Jean and Cheyenne. Cheyenne decides to devote herself to helping people more. She changes her career goal from being a dentist to being a drug and alcohol counselor. Barbra Jean's brother, Buzzard visits the family for Thanksgiving. Barbra Jean starts beating Brock up in her sleep. Reba takes care of Brock when he gets kidney stones and Barbra Jean is out of town. This leads to some uncovered feelings as they share memories. They agree to renew their friendship and trade insults less. Barbra Jean and Reba fight over parenting skills. Brock gets audited by the IRS. He owes $75,000. _

_He has to sell his house. He decides to move away because he feels bad about putting Reba through so much trouble again. She convinces him to stay. Reba buys Brock and Barbra Jean's house and becomes their landlord. Jack Morgan comes back to romance Reba. However, he is still married. This makes Reba "the other woman". Reba breaks up with him. Reba gets laser eye surgery. Court mandated therapy ends for the family. _

_Reba finds out that she has high blood pressure. Cheyenne and Van have a second wedding to renew their vows. They fight before the ceremony. Barbra Jean takes the opportunity to renew vows with Brock. This is too much for Reba to take. She passes out during the ceremony. Reba ends up in the hospital. Barbra Jean loses weight. Cheyenne gets pregnant again. Van leaves his partnership with Reba to join Steve Norris' company because it's more money for the growing family. _

_Kyra moves back home. Barbra Jean becomes a TV Weathergirl. Brock gets his vasectomy reversed. Reba makes a new friend in future Weathergirl, Kelly. Cheyenne and Van find out that they are having a boy. Brock tries to stay in Reba's garage so he can separate from Barbra Jean. Reba catches him in her shower. Brock actually likes that. He starts flirting with Reba. She pretends to be unaffected. _

_Brock and Barbra Jean decide to get divorced. Cheyenne and Van buy a house of their own. Brock is actually torn up over the split with Barbra Jean. They still are attracted to each other. The physical attraction leads to a brief reconciliation. Kyra and Reba fight over whether or not Kyra should go to college. Van accidentally sets his new house on fire. Reba decides that her crazy life is exactly the way that it should be. She tells Barbra Jean that she is her best friend. Barbra Jean gets a job in Little Rock, Arkansas, but then changes her mind. _

**It's finally 2008 at this point in the story. Welcome to my version of what should have been the back nine episodes of season six. This will lead into my version of season seven, if there would have been a season seven. This part of the story will introduce you to the events that occurred during the spring and summer of 2008 (the missing back nine and more).**

_Author's note- Spring-Summer 2008: __Brock told Reba that she's his best friend. They were working to put the animosity of the divorce behind them and work towards the friendship that they had years ago in Oklahoma. Brock was making that hard when his physical presence was all over her house again as a neighbor while living with Barbra Jean and as a roommate once he moved in. Brock and Barbra Jean got separated. The lingering physical attraction and brief reconciliation between Brock and Barbra Jean began in February and was over by May. Brock begged Reba to let him stay at her house temporarily while the two worked things out. When it looked like the separation wasn't so temporary, Brock suggested that he stay and help Reba out with the bills. He encouraged her to go back to college and finish her degree so she could become a teacher just like she always wanted to. The family jumped behind that idea. Van and Cheyenne offered to rent out their house and move back in to help Reba out to make things easier while she went back to school. _

_Van and Cheyenne were worried about being on their own so they quickly made the offer to help Reba so they could get the sanctuary and comfort from living at Reba's house. Van managed to set their new house on fire on their first day of living there. Brock offered to remodel the basement into an apartment for Van, Cheyenne, and their two kids. Cheyenne wanted her parents' help with the new baby. John Christopher Montgomery was born in July. The name made Reba sad and happy at the same time. Van and Cheyenne picked the name without knowing that it held special meaning for Reba. They still weren't aware that Cheyenne was not Reba's firstborn child. Reba saw a resemblance in her new grandson to her own baby John from twenty-five years before. _

_Van and Cheyenne were busy and extremely exhausted. Cheyenne returned to college classes in the fall. Van worked long hours at the real estate office. Baby John was put in campus daycare until five o'clock when Reba or Brock picked up the baby from the daycare. Brock offered to make the attic into a bedroom for Kyra so she'd have more privacy. Kyra graduated from high school in June. She spent the summer playing gigs with her band. She was home less often. In September, mother and daughter would both be college students. _

_Elizabeth and Henry would be starting kindergarten by then. Kyra would be staying in the dorms. She still had a bedroom at Reba's whenever she needed. Jake was thirteen and would be starting eighth grade in the fall. He started his own lawn mowing business in the neighborhood so he could have some spending money. Elizabeth and Henry started kindergarten in the fall. Henry spent weekends with Brock at Reba's house. He stayed in the guest bedroom, which was Kyra's old bedroom. Barbra Jean was very busy with her new job as a television news reporter so Henry also stayed at Reba's house after school until his mother got off work. Brock cut back his work hours so he could be home when Elizabeth, Henry, and Jake got home from school. _

_Reba was pleasantly surprised that her family was finally able to sit down all together for dinner at six o'clock every night after all these years like she always wished that they could. Reba and Brock traded off cooking duties. Everyone had assigned household chores to keep things running smoothly since Reba had so much on her plate while returning to school after all these years. Reba put the family on a budget so they could make it financially while she was in school and not working. Brock wanted Reba to be able to focus on school full-time so he suggested to her that having a job, being a full-time student, and being a full-time mother would be too stressful and hard on her blood pressure. Despite the budget, Brock paid for the family to have an in-ground pool built in the backyard for the kids to enjoy during the summer. _

_Brock was staying in Van and Cheyenne's old bedroom. This was hard for Reba to grow accustomed to. She was comfortable in her old routine. The change and disruption of her routine was hard for Reba to handle. She was used to living as a single mother alone. Reba and Brock's bedrooms were separated by just one wall. Reba was just getting out of a bad relationship with Jack Morgan that was rekindled in February. He'd tricked her into believing that his marriage to Cheryl was over. When she found out, she was furious and broke things off with him in March. Six months after the breakup, he wouldn't leave her alone. Lori Ann suggested setting her up with a blind date so Jack could see that Reba was dating again and off limits to him. Reba agreed. She was currently anticipating her new role as a full-time college student. _

Now on with our next chapter-

The next scene came on. Reba and Brock let their thoughts drift to the past while watching the scene. Their thoughts went back to the time when Kim showed up on her doorstep in Houston.

"Wow, has hell frozen over? What are you doin' here, Kim?" Reba asked.

"I came because I am offering you a gift. Your birthday is next week, right?" Kim responded

"Nice of you to remember. What is this about?" Reba commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm here to give Mike back to you. He is miserable and he really needs you."

"That's very warped and generous of you, Kim. He's not a toy to hand back when you're finished playing with it. He doesn't need me. I've left messages for him and he hasn't tried to contact me even once. It's been five years, Kim. It's none of my business how he is, but if he's miserable then it must be because he's with you."

"Nice comeback. I've trying to help you. I'm willing to offer you the truth. Maybe this will help the two of you get back together. I'm sorry for the trouble that I caused the last time. I was pregnant and hormonal. It's a roller coaster ride when you're carrying a Holliway baby."

"Excuse me? Are you telling me that Mike lied to me? How will that help us get back together? Just go home and work on your marriage, please. I'm the ex. That means excuse me, but I'm not getting involved anymore."

"Wait! There have been too many lies told already. I have to fix this for the two of you. I am not married to Mike anymore. We divorced eight years ago. You are still the woman that he wants."

"Well, that's too bad. I've moved on. I've moved so far past on that I'm lapping it for the second time. Besides why does Kim Campbell, my enemy care so much about this anyway?"

"I'm Kim Holliway. Technically, I'm Kim Campbell Holliway Campbell Holliway. I'm not your enemy, Reba. I used to be your best friend. Remember when we were fourteen. You were dreaming about Mike and I said how great it would be if Mike married you and Terry married me. We were excited to think about being sisters-in-law and our kids growing up together."

"Well, that seems so ridiculous now. Why did you change your name back to Holliway? It's because you had Mike's baby, right?"

"No. I had Terry's baby."

"What?"

"I have a lot to make up for to you and Mike."

"You slept with Mike's brother? That's a new low even for a tramp like you."

"I never should have married Mike. I was miserable. I started seeing Terry again and then I couldn't stop. I didn't know that I was in love with Terry until things had gone too far."

"So you cheated on Mike with Terry?"

"Terry used to bring me up to the apartment. We snuck around until Mike caught us. After the divorce, I saw Terry on and off for awhile. After you had your near-death experience, Terry told me that he didn't want to waste anymore time. He asked me to marry him and I accepted. We didn't expect him to die so soon. He didn't even see his son."

"How could you do that to Mike? Do you know what it is like when you are in a marriage that you think is going well just to wake up one day and find out that your life is a lie? Mike was your husband and the father of your child. So you cheated on Mike in the apartment? My apartment? Are you kidding me? You really are a tramp, you know that. Did you even have the nerve to sleep with Terry in my bed? I can think of so many names to call you right now. Are you telling me that Mike caught you sleeping with Terry in our bed?"

Reba felt the fury overcome her. Before she knew it, the redhead dove towards Kim and started punching her. Kim responded by struggling to get free and trying to grab the hair of her attacker. Brock was coming into the kitchen through the back door. He heard the commotion in the living room and came running into the living room. He dashed to pull Reba off of Kim.

"You are so lucky that he pulled me off. How could you?"

"You always were a vicious little witch, Reba. I was just trying to clear the air. It's not like you haven't slept with Brock. He's married to someone else and you still want him in your bed. And yet, you tell Mike how much you miss him. Aren't you also sleeping with a doctor now, too? How many men have you slept with recently? Too many to keep track of? You're a cheating, lying witch! You aren't any more faithful to Mike than I was. I don't know why Mike still wants a slut like you. You are despicable. At least I didn't call out another man's name when I slept with Mike."

Reba lunged towards Kim again to attack her. Brock grabbed a hold of her waist to keep Reba from making contact with Kim. "Let me go, Brock. She's tellin' lies about me and I'm gonna teach her a lesson."

"Calm down, Reba. Throwing punches isn't gonna help things. Remember your blood pressure."

"I'm gonna make her shut her lyin' mouth!" Reba said to Brock. "If you want to see a slut, you should look in the mirror." Reba said to Kim.

"Great comeback. Too bad he's got a hold of you. If you want to see a real liar, then you should turn around. Brock is no angel either. He's done more to hurt you than you will ever know. You had a good man and you were too stupid to realize it."

"Knock it off, Kim." Brock warned.

"Someday you are gonna get what's coming to you, Brock. At least I'm trying to do the right thing by coming here. What have you done to fix what you've done?"

"Shut up, Kim!" Brock yelled.

Reba stood there, stunned. Brock still had his arms around her to pull her back, but she wasn't trying to attack Kim anymore. Reba looked from Kim to Brock. Kim pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number.

"I'm here. We got in a fight. It's over now. You know Reba. It's easy to set her off. She likes hitting people," Kim said to the person on the other line.

"I'm about to be set off again," Reba said, through clenched teeth.

Kim handed the phone to Reba. "This call is for you."

Kim looked at Brock. "You can leave now. Take your hands off her. You let go of her a long time ago. You were never supposed to have her in the first place." she remarked.

Brock moved away from Reba, removing his arms from her waist. "You can leave now. I'm not gonna say another word. You're safe enough for now." Kim warned.

Brock walked back into the kitchen. Reba sat down on the sofa to talk on the phone.

"Hi."

"Hi, Reba. I want to let you know that her visit was not my idea. Kim has a mind of her own. She really does mean well. You two just know how to push each other's buttons."

"Fair enough. What's goin' on exactly?"

"Kim wants us to talk. I got the video. Are you still seeing that guy?"

"No, I tried to give Jack a chance three times and he's just not what I thought he was. What about you? Are you seein' anyone?"

"No. I haven't seen anyone since I saw you last. I miss you."

"You had my address, phone number, and e-mail. This is the first time that I'm hearin' from you."

"Not exactly. When was the last time that you saw Lori Ann?"

"It's been about a year since I've seen her last. We don't talk much anymore."

"When was the last time that the two of you went barhopping?"

"It's been about a year and a half. So you heard about that?"

"Are you done partying like a wild college girl?"

"Yeah. The morning after isn't much fun. Are we friends now or what?"

"I'm tryin'. I miss you."

"I miss havin' you around too. Who else is gonna reign me back in after tryin' one of Lori Ann's ideas?"

"I'm gonna let you get back to talking to Kim. Can we talk again soon?"

"I'd really like that."

The call ended. Kim was sitting on the sofa beside Reba. Reba handed the cell phone back to Kim.

"Why do we always end up fighting over that man?"

"I don't know. We're both pretty much done with him, too."

"I am, but you're not. You should've heard yourself-call it 'my apartment and our bed". That hasn't been your home for twenty-five years. You still have feelings for him. You wouldn't have attacked me if you didn't still care about Mike."

"So what? I have unresolved feelings for him. I just need to forget and move on."

"You two are the most stubborn people that I ever met. Terry and I didn't cheat in your room or in your bed. We were in the room that Terry uses next door. He really wanted you two to get back together. I really loved him. That's why I kinda lost it when I caught Mike with you. I wasn't being rational. Terry made that agreement with Mike about the baby. Mike is only helping me raise him. I'm his sister-in-law now."

Reba laughed. "That's funny. Your family is more dysfunctional than mine is."

"What's going on around here?"

"Brock is separated from his wife. He's staying here while tryin' to work things out with her. He helps me with the bills and with the kids while he's stayin' here. That's all that's goin' on 'round here. Soon he'll be back with his wife and my life will be back to normal again."

"You think it's normal to be alone? You could have so much more if you tried."

"Why are you suddenly being nice to me? We've spent years at each other's throats."

"We're not fighting over a man anymore. The man in question only wants you. He also wants us to get along for the sake of the children. He's my friend and he's hurting over all the mistakes that the two of you have made over the years that have kept you apart. He told me about the deal. You loved him and wanted to marry him. Has that changed?"

"I've loved him almost all of my life and spent the last twenty-eight years wishing that I'd gotten the chance to really be married to him for longer than twenty-four hours. It would've been great even if we only lasted a year. Living with him, even as crazy as things turned out, was one of the best times of my life."

"It's 2008. December will be here before you know it. Times almost up on your deal. Give it one more chance, Reba. Go to back home to Oklahoma and celebrate your anniversary with him. That oughta be memorable for the two of you. The two of you got married and had a child together. You share a bond. You should work things out or find closure. It's hard to watch the two of you eating your hearts out because you're too stubborn to give in. Fix it or end it once and for all."

"This is too funny. The woman who stole my husband is begging me to take him back. Are you sure that you want a 'vicious little witch' as your children's stepmother?"

Kim was about to answer the question when Barbra Jean barged into Reba's house through the front door without knocking.

"Who the h- is that?"

"Husband-stealing bimbo number one meet husband-stealing bimbo number two. This is Brock's wife, Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean, this is Kim Holliway. She's a member of our special club."

"Is this the BJ that I heard about, the mistress?"

"Yes, unfortunately. She just barges in here all the time. She must be here to see Brock."

"My god, Brock married Malibu Barbie!"

Reba laughed. "Have you looked in the mirror?"

"Hey, I resent that! I'm not a bimbo or a Barbie. I made some mistakes and I'm here to ask for your forgiveness."

"Who is this person, Reba?" Barbra Jean whispered.

"She's one of us. She belongs in our special club," Reba whispered back.

"What club is that?"

"The long line of women who have dated and bedded Brock."

"No, you're kidding me right, Reba?" Reba shook her head no in response. Barbra Jean moves closer to get a good look at Kim.

"So this is Brock's type?"

"Unfortunately. I'm the only one who was different out of all of them. Kim was the prettiest and most popular girl at McAlester High School. She was the head cheerleader and she dated the quarterback on the school's football team. She could've dated anyone she wanted."

"If Brock's type is blonde Barbie bimbos, then how in the world did he end up with you?"

"Ha, ha, very funny, Kim. It's like you always said. I had the guys under my evil spell," Reba laughed sarcastically.

"You've dated and slept with my husband? How many women are there from his past?" Barbra Jean asked.

"Too many to count," Reba answered.

"I want a word with Brock now!" Barbra Jean shouted. Reba silently pointed to the kitchen. Barbra Jean stomped into the kitchen.

Reba and Kim shared a laugh. "Now can we get back to business? Do you want your man back or not?"

"Yeah, I do. I need to stop obsessing over that man. It either becomes real or it's just a beautiful memory."

"You know you made fun of blondes, but remember you were once a blonde too. Or did you forget?"

Barbra Jean came running out of the kitchen. "I heard that. Reba used to be a blonde. I'm sorry. I've got to hear this!"

"Barbra Jean, were you listening in the kitchen?"

"No-oooo."

"Sure you weren't. Okay, here's the story. We used to be best friends."

"Like you and me."

"Not exactly. We stopped being best friends when she tried to steal my man from me."

"That's a load of baloney and you know it. You stole my man from me first. You went out with Tommy Johnson and you knew that I really liked him."

"No, I didn't. I really didn't know that you were serious about him. He asked me out on one date. It was the worst experience of my life. I paid the price for it. You didn't have to bleed it out of me."

"Reba's a man-stealer. This is a story that I've gotta hear," Brock said as he came out of the kitchen.

"Well, hello there. You still look good." Kim commented to Brock, forgetting that she'd just threatened to expose him moments before. She gave him a dazzling smile.

"Thanks. You look great yourself," Brock responded, wondering what this viper had up her sleeve. He had a smirk on his face. Reba shook her head. She could not believe just how vain he seemed to be. She'd thought that he'd changed.

"Hold it there one second there, Peaches. This is my husband. You had your turn. Now back away from my man," Barbra Jean interrupted.

Brock shot Barbra Jean a glaring look over Reba's head. He mouthed the words, "Cut it out" to Barbra Jean.

"See Brock, I told ya that you both still have feelings for each other. The shoe is now on the other foot. You're the one who's flirting and she's the one who's jealous." Reba turned to Kim.

"Wow, Kim. If we're gonna be friendly, then I'm gonna have to ask you to find some other man to flirt with. Next time, try a man who hasn't been married to me. McAlester is full of 'em."

"Actually Reba that was just an old reflex action. I'm thoroughly done with Brock," Barbra Jean commented.

"Hey, there was a story about Reba being a man-stealing blonde. That's what I wanna hear about."

Reba shot Brock a look of disgust. "You would, you mo-ron."

"Okay. Reba and I were best friends from way back. Lori Ann and Reba started fighting in the third grade and that's when we became best friends. Lori Ann and I don't get along much."

"I know what you mean. I'm Reba's best friend. I hate it when she swoops in here like she's the only best friend that Reba's ever had."

"Anyway," Reba interrupted, "she's the beauty and I'm the brains. When we teamed up, look out!"

"This story is about a boy, a very special boy. Reba was madly in love with him. He lived far away from McAlester. He came to visit his grandparents when we were fourteen years old. He was sixteen. They had such fun together. They were perfect for each other. Before he left, he gave her a kiss. It was her first real kiss. When he went back home, he wrote to her every week. He was dating other girls back home. He was honest about his life back home.

They became just friends. Then Reba heard about a party that was bein' held. The boy was comin' back for Christmas vacation that year. Reba wanted to change her image at school. I gave her a makeover. Suddenly the quiet, mousy bookworm had guys lined up at her locker to talk to her in the halls and they crowded around our lunch table. Reba flirted until she finally got an invite to the most exclusive party of the year. She found out that boy would be back here to attend the party. He obviously knew what she looked like and he was obviously keeping her in the friend category. She was determined to change that. The makeover wasn't enough.

She needed a disguise and a name. When she got ready for the party, she was wearing the right makeup, short tight-fittin' clothes, and a blonde wig. Her parents would've killed her if she'd dyed her red hair. I taught her how to walk and talk sexy. We worked on getting her to change her voice so she'd sound like a different person. She looked like she was seventeen. On the night of the party, she became a blonde bombshell. She became Sally McEntire. At the party, she circulated and flirted. She was careful not to get close to where the boy was. She danced with other boys."

"I'm telling this part. Then he finally walked up to me. I remember that he wore a Stetson hat. He was from Oklahoma, but he kept trying to act like a Texas cowboy. I acted casual as if we were strangers. He took my hand and kissed it. He introduced himself as Jack Collins. I introduced myself as Sally McEntire. He took my hand and let me to the dance floor. It got easier to get bolder with him. The punch was spiked and I drank some. It got easier and easier to pretend to be someone else. That's when things got interesting."

"My turn to tell 'em. The game had barely begun. At these parties, you didn't come with a date. You came alone. The girls wrote their names down on paper, folded it up, and put it in a hat. When it was time, the boys each drew a girl's name from the hat. When it was Jack's turn, he drew the name Sally McEntire. That's when they went into the closet. The game was Seven Minutes in Heaven. Each couple was in the closet to make out for seven minutes."

"I've played that game before, but they call it something else in Fisheye Bottom."

"Barbra Jean, let them tell the story. I'm interested in finding out what happened next."

"You're a guy, Brock. What do you think happened next?"

"But I want to hear you tell it."

"He kissed me again in the closet. Sparks were flyin'. We started makin' out until our seven minutes were over. After that, he kept dancin' with me. Then he got up to sing with some of his buddies. He actually lived in McAlester a few years before that. I started singing softly to the songs that we danced to. He liked my singing. When he was done singing with his buddies, he asked me to get up and sing with him. Our voices were a perfect fit. Later, we walked around the party and he wouldn't let go of my hand.

He just kept holding my hand in his with our fingers laced together. He said that he could fall in love with a girl like me. After that, he went back home. I got letters, but we never talked about the party. I figured that I really fooled him that night. Then he came back for Spring Break. There was another party like the one before. Kim helped me prepare again. This time was a little different. I was still the blonde bombshell, but he upped the stakes in the game. It was a game to trick each other and entice each other. This time, he fired back by using my idea against me. He was disguised.

He didn't wear the Stetson hat this time. He changed his voice and appearance. He hid his eyes behind sunglasses. This was someone that I'd known almost all my life. I'd know him anywhere, even if I couldn't see. I can tell by his voice most of the time. He has tried to trick me often enough. He tried to disguise his voice that night, but I could tell that it was him. When we slow danced, I knew for sure that it was him. He has a very distinct smell. I could smell the Stetson cologne on him that I'd bought him for Christmas. He was good though. He worked even harder to disguise himself than I did.

He lightened his hair to a sandy brown color. He wore colored contacts to change his eye color to deep blue. I got to see his eyes much later on. He came up with a different name this time. This time, he said that his name was John Smith. We are two incredibly stubborn people. Neither one of us was willing to confront the other and give away our real identities. I knew that if I'd confronted him about his disguise, I'd be giving my own disguise away. The whole thing was strange, but wonderful. Everything happened in the same way as the last party, except for the singing. He didn't want to give himself away. By this time, we'd begun singing together in the barn when he'd come by to see me.

He'd help me with my chores so we could go running off together. He also came up with something fun and spontaneous to do, but we'd never discuss the parties. We were close. I could talk to him about anything. He'd dance with me and hold my hand sometimes with our fingers intertwined, but he didn't try to kiss me. He'd leave again and I'd never know when or if I'd see him again. Then summer came. My fifteenth birthday came and went. A new boy got interested in me. He was one of the most popular boys in school. Before school ended for the summer, he'd try to talk to me. I was quiet and shy most of the time. I was nervous and I didn't know what to do.

I only wanted to date the boy that I'd fallen for, but I had no idea if he'd return or if he was actually interested in dating me. He'd never shown any interest in me that way except for during those two parties. During the summer, I wore a bikini to Lake McAlester. Kim and I went to the beach there. That boy was Tommy Johnson. He was there quite a few times. One day, he came up to us and asked me to swim with him. I looked at Kim and she told me to go. For the first time, a boy looked us and liked me better than Kim. That had never happened before. I was the brainy girl who wore glasses. Boys never looked at me like they looked at Kim. I was never jealous of the attention that she got, but she sure was jealous of me that day.

Tommy Johnson asked me out and I agreed to go because I didn't think that Kim would mind. She let me flirt and swim with him quite a bit that day. I didn't know how much she liked him. I didn't know that she was jealous until much later. As soon as Kim found out about the date, she was livid. She didn't find out until school started again in the fall. Tommy spread a rumor around school that he'd had sex with me. I got a bad reputation. Suddenly I had the guy that I'd fallen for back in my life again. His family moved to town again. He started going to school with us.

He didn't believe the rumor at all. He protected me. He threatened anyone who tried to date me because he knew that they only wanted to date me because of Tommy's lie. Boys thought that I was easy, but my guy knew the truth. Kim stopped being my friend as soon as she'd heard that I'd gone on a date with Tommy. When she heard the rumor, she believed the lie and declared war on me. She'd made it her mission to destroy me. It took her two full years to finally crush me down. If she'd known the truth, she should've been glad that she didn't go out with Tommy herself."

"What you didn't know was that I'd already gone out with him. That night when you went to the Christmas party, I went out with Tommy. We got a lot further than you did at the party. Look, I know that I didn't make it public that I'd had sex with him. I just didn't understand why you didn't talk to me about the date first. You would've any other time. What made you decide not to tell me?"

"Tommy told me not to. He said that he didn't want to give you the chance to talk me out of dating him. He said that he really liked me. He fed me some stupid lines and I trusted him. I'm sorry that I did that. I need you to understand why I could never talk about that night again."

"I'm listening."

"I need for the three of you to promise never to tell anyone what I am about to tell you. After I tell you, I never want to talk about it again. Promise?"

Kim and Barbra Jean nodded. Brock took Reba's hand into his own. He looked into her eyes and urged her to trust him with this information. "It's okay, honey. You can say whatever it is to us and we will never judge you for it. We will never tell another living soul about it," Brock responded.

Reba sighed. "If you tell Mike about this, he'll go after Tommy. I don't want Mike to get hurt or end up in jail because of this, okay."

"Reba, I promise that you can trust me with this. What is it?" Kim responded.

"The date was going well in the beginning. He took me to a nice restaurant. He complimented me. He acted like a gentleman. We went to the drive-in to see a movie after dinner. He didn't try to make a move. I thought that I was safe. During the movie, something seemed wrong and my mind was screaming at me to go home right away. I didn't know why because everything was fine. Tommy was supposed to drive me straight home after the movie, but he didn't. He stopped the car in the middle of nowhere. That's when it started.

He expected that I'd be so grateful for the date and his attentions that I'd sleep with him. He tried and I refused." Tears started falling down Reba's cheeks. "After that, he'd decided to take what he wanted no matter what. He tried forcing himself on me. I kicked, clawed, and screamed. I kneed him in the groin and got out of that car as fast as I could. I looked so bad. I was pretty banged up. I had bruises everywhere. My dress was ripped open. He broke the buttons when he ripped it off. I had to hold it closed when I ran. He still had the underwear that he ripped off me in his car. I guess that's why he thought that he'd get away with the lie. He figured that no one would believe me if I tried to tell the truth. I was lucky that an old woman was driving down the road. I ran and stopped her car. I got in her car as fast as I could. She took me home. I never talked to anyone about it ever again. I tried to go on with my life as if it had never happened."

"Kim, I'm sorry but I don't feel so good. I need to lie down for awhile. I'll be happy to visit with you again tomorrow."

"Kim, do you have a place to stay?"

"Not yet."

"Well you are gonna come and stay with me. Any friend of Reba's is a friend of mine. I live around the corner. You can see into Reba's house from our house. I can run from my house to Reba's in just 26 seconds. Isn't that great? I bet you have some great Reba stories to tell me."

Kim listened to the bubbly blonde and quietly accepted Barbra Jean's invitation. The two walked over to Barbra Jean's house right away. Reba ran upstairs to her room. She went to lie down on the bed and began to sob. Brock knocked on the door. He opened the door to check on her. "Go away, please. I just want to forget about this. This was a really bad day and I need to try to get some sleep and forget about it. I'll feel better tomorrow."

"Is this one of the reasons why you have those bad nightmares?"

"Yes. Please don't make me talk about it. Just go away. I'm sorry that I ever told you about it. I never wanted anyone to know."

"Where were your parents when this happened? Didn't they notice your clothes and your appearance when you got home? Weren't they worried?"

Reba shook her head. "They weren't home. They were gone. I just took a bath, threw my clothes in the trash, and went to bed."

"It must have been around 12-1 o'clock in the morning and they weren't home waiting up for you? I remember how protective your dad always was."

Reba scoffed and then quietly continued. "My parents were having problems. They weren't around much at the time. They never found out about it. They never even knew that I'd gone out on a date in the first place. They weren't home and I didn't call to ask permission to go. After that, I felt so bad that I just couldn't tell them that I'd put myself in that situation."

Reba had her back to him. She just looked out the window as she spoke. She spoke softly, but her tone was emotionless and detached. Brock walked over to the bed. He moved to lie down beside Reba. He wrapped his arms around her. She turned towards him and buried her face in his chest sobbing. He rubbed her back gently while holding her.

"Shh, it's gonna be okay, honey. I'm here for you. I'm gonna stay right here all night like this so you won't have any nightmares. I remember that this is the only way to keep your nightmares away when you sleep." He kissed her on the top of her head.

Reba awoke early just as the sun was rising. She was wrapped in Brock's arms. Her telephone began to ring. She answered it quickly, but still feeling very sleepy. "Hello."

"Good morning. How are you?"

Reba's tired eyes flew open. She looked over at a sleeping Brock. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Good morning to you. I've been better. Having Kim here brought up a lot of unpleasant memories for me. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Let me pick up the extension in the kitchen. I have to be really quiet. I've got four children and a grandchild still asleep. Hold on."

Reba crept out of bed and out of the room. She tiptoed downstairs to pick up the phone in the kitchen. "I'm back."

Brock actually woke up when Reba began to stir in his arms. He lay silently pretending to be asleep when Reba got up to answer the phone. After Reba left the room, Brock decided to listen to the conversation on Reba's bedroom phone.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she woke up wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? Is Kim actually trying to be Reba's friend? What's going on with Brock and Barbra Jean? What would Brock be trying to hide from Reba? What information does Kim have on Brock? Will Reba be able to stop having nightmares? What's happening with the mystery caller and Reba? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?

It's finally 2008. What happens next in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. **

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**Watch Working Class on CMT this Friday, February 4th and spread the word around. Melissa Peterman's new show is so funny! This Friday will be a special treat for Reba fans because Reba is guest starred on Working Class-8 pm Eastern/7 pm Central. Melissa Peterman is the ex-wife and Reba is the ex-husband's new girlfriend on this show. It ought to be hilarious!**

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	17. Brock finds out!

_Dear Readers-_

_I wanted to let you know that my new chapters will be posted on Sundays or Mondays, depending on how busy things get for me. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from spring-summer 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- Reba had her back to him. She just looked out the window as she spoke. She spoke softly, but her tone was emotionless and detached. Brock walked over to the bed. He moved to lie down beside Reba. He wrapped his arms around her. She turned towards him and buried her face in his chest sobbing. He rubbed her back gently while holding her.

"Shh, it's gonna be okay, honey. I'm here for you. I'm gonna stay right here all night like this so you won't have any nightmares. I remember that this is the only way to keep your nightmares away when you sleep." He kissed her on the top of her head.

Reba awoke early just as the sun was rising. She was wrapped in Brock's arms. Her telephone began to ring. She answered it quickly, but still feeling very sleepy. "Hello."

"Good morning. How are you?"

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she woke up wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? Is Kim actually trying to be Reba's friend? What's going on with Brock and Barbra Jean? What would Brock be trying to hide from Reba? What information does Kim have on Brock? Will Reba be able to stop having nightmares? What's happening with the mystery caller and Reba? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?

It's finally 2008. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 16 in the year 2008 with a cliffhanger to introduce some new Reba/Brock flashbacks. What happens now in 2008? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

**It's finally 2008 at this point in the story. Welcome to my version of what should have been the back nine episodes of season six. This will lead into my version of season seven, if there would have been a season seven. This part of the story will introduce you to the events that occurred during the spring and summer of 2008 (the missing back nine and more).**

_Author's note- Spring-Summer 2008: __Brock told Reba that she's his best friend. They were working to put the animosity of the divorce behind them and work towards the friendship that they had years ago in Oklahoma. Brock was making that hard when his physical presence was all over her house again as a neighbor while living with Barbra Jean and as a roommate once he moved in. Brock and Barbra Jean got separated. The lingering physical attraction and brief reconciliation between Brock and Barbra Jean began in February and was over by May. Brock begged Reba to let him stay at her house temporarily while the two worked things out. When it looked like the separation wasn't so temporary, Brock suggested that he stay and help Reba out with the bills. He encouraged her to go back to college and finish her degree so she could become a teacher just like she always wanted to. The family jumped behind that idea. Van and Cheyenne offered to rent out their house and move back in to help Reba out to make things easier while she went back to school. _

_Van and Cheyenne were worried about being on their own so they quickly made the offer to help Reba so they could get the sanctuary and comfort from living at Reba's house. Van managed to set their new house on fire on their first day of living there. Brock offered to remodel the basement into an apartment for Van, Cheyenne, and their two kids. Cheyenne wanted her parents' help with the new baby. John Christopher Montgomery was born in July. The name made Reba sad and happy at the same time. Van and Cheyenne picked the name without knowing that it held special meaning for Reba. They still weren't aware that Cheyenne was not Reba's firstborn child. Reba saw a resemblance in her new grandson to her own baby John from twenty-five years before. _

_Van and Cheyenne were busy and extremely exhausted. Cheyenne returned to college classes in the fall. Van worked long hours at the real estate office. Baby John was put in campus daycare until five o'clock when Reba or Brock picked up the baby from the daycare. Brock offered to make the attic into a bedroom for Kyra so she'd have more privacy. Kyra graduated from high school in June. She spent the summer playing gigs with her band. She was home less often. In September, mother and daughter would both be college students. _

_Elizabeth and Henry would be starting kindergarten by then. Kyra would be staying in the dorms. She still had a bedroom at Reba's whenever she needed. Jake was thirteen and would be starting eighth grade in the fall. He started his own lawn mowing business in the neighborhood so he could have some spending money. Elizabeth and Henry started kindergarten in the fall. Henry spent weekends with Brock at Reba's house. He stayed in the guest bedroom, which was Kyra's old bedroom. Barbra Jean was very busy with her new job as a television news reporter so Henry also stayed at Reba's house after school until his mother got off work. Brock cut back his work hours so he could be home when Elizabeth, Henry, and Jake got home from school. _

_Reba was pleasantly surprised that her family was finally able to sit down all together for dinner at six o'clock every night after all these years like she always wished that they could. Reba and Brock traded off cooking duties. Everyone had assigned household chores to keep things running smoothly since Reba had so much on her plate while returning to school after all these years. Reba put the family on a budget so they could make it financially while she was in school and not working. Brock wanted Reba to be able to focus on school full-time so he suggested to her that having a job, being a full-time student, and being a full-time mother would be too stressful and hard on her blood pressure. Despite the budget, Brock paid for the family to have an in-ground pool built in the backyard for the kids to enjoy during the summer. _

_Brock was staying in Van and Cheyenne's old bedroom. This was hard for Reba to grow accustomed to. She was comfortable in her old routine. The change and disruption of her routine was hard for Reba to handle. She was used to living as a single mother alone. Reba and Brock's bedrooms were separated by just one wall. Reba was just getting out of a bad relationship with Jack Morgan that was rekindled in February. He'd tricked her into believing that his marriage to Cheryl was over. When she found out, she was furious and broke things off with him in March. Six months after the breakup, he wouldn't leave her alone. Lori Ann suggested setting her up with a blind date so Jack could see that Reba was dating again and off limits to him. Reba agreed. She was currently anticipating her new role as a full-time college student. _

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba awoke early just as the sun was rising. She was wrapped in Brock's arms. Her telephone began to ring. She answered it quickly, but still feeling very sleepy. "Hello."

"Good morning. How are you?"

Reba's tired eyes flew open. She looked over at a sleeping Brock. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Good morning to you. I've been better. Having Kim here brought up a lot of unpleasant memories for me. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Let me pick up the extension in the kitchen. I have to be really quiet. I've got four children and a grandchild still asleep. Hold on."

Reba crept out of bed and out of the room. She tiptoed downstairs to pick up the phone in the kitchen. "I'm back."

Brock actually woke up when Reba began to stir in his arms. He lay silently pretending to be asleep when Reba got up to answer the phone. After Reba left the room, Brock decided to listen to the conversation on Reba's bedroom phone.

"What's up?"

"I'm confused by you saying that you have four children and one grandchild still asleep."

"There are Cheyenne, Van, Kyra, and Jake make four children. Elizabeth is my only grandchild until next month when Cheyenne gives birth to her new son."

"Cheyenne is having another baby. Wow, time has really gone by. Sam and Jenny aren't even married yet, let alone having a baby."

"How are Sam and Jenny doing?"

"They're still a couple and don't plan on getting married until they both finish college."

"Good for them. I'm still embarrassed by what they saw."

He softly chuckled for a moment. "Don't be. That was six years ago and should be forgotten by now."

"Right. Like that's gonna happen. Van got drunk one night about two and a half years ago. He accidentally came into my bedroom and climbed in bed with me because he thought he was in his room in Cheyenne's bed. He put his hand on my rear thinking that I was Cheyenne. I lifted my head up from under the covers and told him that I had a headache. He freaked out and fled the room. He's still embarrassed about it. It didn't help that I found it funny enough to tell the rest of the family about. I commented that it's not my fault that I have the body of a twenty year old. Whenever I make that comment, he gets upset and asks me not to talk about my body. I got something like that in the video I sent you."

"I saw that. It's no big deal."

"To you maybe. I think that it's a big deal for your son and his girlfriend to see his father foolin' around under the bleachers with his pregnant girlfriend. Even the thought that my father was having sex with someone other than my mother freaks me out. Why can't I have normal parents?"

"Because there is no such thing as normal anymore. Look at my parents. My father actually high-fived me when he found out that you were pregnant. We're about as close to normal as we can be."

"Both times? That's better than my father's reaction. The first time I was told that I didn't have a home anymore. My father threatened to force you to marry me with a shotgun to your back. The last time he accused you of coercing me into bed. I'm a grown woman for heaven's sakes. I'm frightened if we're your idea of a normal couple. I would've liked to have had the type of parents like I've been to Cheyenne. Why couldn't they just understand that teenagers rush into things and make mistakes? I need a little unconditional love."

"We're a couple trying to make a long-distance thing work because we're both stubborn. I love you. I've always loved ya, Sal. Did Dr. Love tell you that he loved you?"

Reba giggled. "Jack, his nickname was Dr. Hunky, not Dr. Love, and he never told me that he loved me. I didn't love him either. I did get free therapy though so I did get something out of the deal. We split up because I found out that he was still involved with his ex-wife. Before you ask, we didn't have sex. It's really not any of your business, but I didn't want that thought to fester in your mind. To be honest, we did come pretty close to that though."

"Reba! Why?"

"He's a very attractive man who can say and do the right things. It was easy to get sucked into that. He was offering a way for me to get over you. He knows everything about us. He was very easy to talk to. Even BJ wanted him. Do you think that was fun for Brock to watch?"

"It wasn't fun for me to watch. So you were trying to get over me? You've been sending me letters and videos. You've asked for us to get back together. I don't understand."

"I told you before that you were gonna have to make the next move and you didn't. You had an e-mail address, home address, and phone numbers. I didn't hear from you. I waited and after a couple of years went by I figured that you were with Kim so I started to give up hope."

"I tried to see you."

"In Houston? I don't remember you tryin' to see me since Terry's funeral."

"I can prove it. You were out with Lori Ann at a bar called the Blue Lounge. You were wearin' a black top that was slanted revealing your right shoulder and tight pants that showed off your butt. You were drinkin' Tahitian Sunsets. You were very drunk by the time that I arrived. You were flirtin' and dancin' with a couple of guys. You came into my arms. You didn't have any idea who I was. You were kissin' me and tellin' me that you wanted me to be your husband. You didn't even know who I was. Lori Ann and I brought you home and put you to bed. I found out about your situation and I left."

"That would explain so much about what happened in Vegas before. Thanks for not takin' advantage of me, Mike. It's would've been awkward to wake up married in a hotel room again. Thanks for takin' care of me again. I always appreciate it when you look out for me; but what situation are you referrin' to?"

"The situation where Brock is separated from his wife and spending all of his time over at your house, the one where he tells you that he made a mistake in leaving you. I'm not steppin' into that minefield again. First, you love me and hate him. You agree to marry me. We're gonna raise a child together. Then you suddenly decide that you still love him and you go running back to Houston. You start sending me letters and a video. You come back to see me. We kiss, dance, sing, have a few drinks, and talk. The next thing I know you're comin' on to me. I slow things down to play some pool, and then we end up on top of the pool table. Clothes are comin' off and we get caught by my hormonally challenged ex-wife."

"Are you kidding me? That's the part that I liked. I like the romantic stuff, but how often does a woman get a chance for some payback on the bimbo that stole her husband. I liked the part where we got payback on Brock. I think that I've proved that you are more than satisfied with me. She got mad because I wounded her ego and I won the little war that she started. Getting Brock in trouble was so much fun."

"Maybe. But you and Kim battling over Tommy Johnson? What do you women see in that guy?"

"Nothing. I wish that I'd never met him. He's a creep. I made a horrible decision that cost me everything that I ever wanted in the world."

"Don't you think that you're being a little dramatic?"

"Dramatic! She deliberately started dating you right after you came back to hurt me. She's the one who helped us get together in the first place. I wish that I could tell you the worst part, but I can't."

"We've known each other for almost thirty-eight years. You love me and trust me, right?"

"Not with this. I can't. Do you remember what happened when I found out I was pregnant the first time? My father threatened to come after you with his shotgun. I just sorta stepped in front of you to take the bullet in a way by planning to leave town. That's why I didn't say anything until the last minute. I want to protect you as much as you want to protect me. This is honestly for your own good, honey. The good news is that I cleared some of this stuff out of the way with Kim. Come on, we ended things on a good note that night, didn't we? It's fun to be bad every once in a while."

"What happened after that with the new wife?"

"She cried and screamed at him for days. She accused him of cheatin' on her. He tried to convince her that he was innocent, but it didn't work. Speaking of cheatin', I think that we need to talk."

"Uh, oh. I hate when you get that tone."

"I'm having trouble being friends with your ex-wife when I know that I'm not bein' honest with her. I've been everythin' to you. I've been your friend, girlfriend, lover, wife, ex-wife, and mistress. It's the guilt that I've carried from bein' your mistress that I can't hold in anymore. I can't keep the secret anymore. You've seen what happens when I struggle with a secret. My heart and my blood pressure won't be able to handle it anymore. The last time I actually died. Is that what you want to happen? It's a bad feeling bein' the other woman. It was bad when Jack Morgan tried to put me in that position. It hurts bad when your husband is out with another woman. It feels like you aren't woman enough to keep him at home."

"Brock's cheatin' was not your fault. He's a fool. You are an extremely passionate and loving woman. I know this from personal experience. You are a very hot-blooded wife. No, baby, I never want us to go through somethin' like that again. Let's talk this out. How is tellin' people about somethin' that happened 24-25 years ago gonna help anythin'."

"Kim wants to be friends with me. She used to be my best friend. Brock used to be your best friend. She has a right to know that you were cheatin' on her during the engagement and during the marriage. She has the right to know that I was the other woman during her marriage."

"Why involve Brock in this?"

"He and I are workin' on a friendship. I don't wanna build it on lies. He has a right to know everything, includin' what happened six years ago. I'm gonna say it again. I was the other woman in your marriage and you were the other man in mine."

"Wait a second, Sal. You said that it was nobody's business but ours. Come on, you weren't married when that happened. Were you havin' sex with Brock while we were involved before that marriage? Didn't you have divorce papers in hand when you came to me six years ago?"

"Yes, I had the initial divorce papers, but that doesn't clear my guilt. No, I wasn't having sex with Brock while we were involved. I would never cheat on you and I don't sleep around. I didn't get serious with Brock until I ended things with you and I don't want him thinkin' that I cheated on him before the divorce papers were filed. Kim's been threatenin' to spill secrets. I don't know what she has on Brock, but I know what she has on me. If she gets mad at me again, she'll tell him about the pregnancy. She'll tell him that you were the father."

"That was what you wanted people to think. What's goin' on with you?"

"I don't want Brock to think that I cheated on him before divorce papers were filed. I didn't want Barbra Jean to get her hands on my baby, that's all. I miscarried and now there is no baby to fight over. I'm not proud of the way that I behaved."

"Did you love me when you agreed to marry me back then? Do you even really love me now?"

"I'll admit that I jumped into things with you too fast. I wasn't over Brock then. I am now. I've always loved you. I just don't like the fact that I was the other woman to the other woman. I guess that I deserve what Brock did to me. I betrayed Kim and then I learned what it was like to be betrayed myself."

"Sal, I will not have you talkin' like that. Those are two different situations. My marriage to Kim wasn't a real one until you'd been gone awhile. Was your marriage to Brock real from the beginning?"

"Yes. It was very real. Real or not, didn't it hurt you when you found out that your own brother was the other man in your marriage?"

"Yeah, it did."

"See. When I heard Kim say that to me yesterday, I flew off the handle. I got mad on your behalf because I love you and you were hurt by Kim and Terry. I have to be honest though. Part of me is a little glad that you know what it is like to be betrayed like that. You were genuinely hurt. I need you to know what that feels like. The day that you ran out on our wedding was the worst day of my life. I was completely destroyed. To add insult to injury, you refused me when I came to you for comfort later. I just wanted us to have one more night together and you said no. The crazy thing is that you changed your mind about that later. What happened? Did you see how messed up I was and finally feel guilty?"

"I've seen you do that more than once, drinking yourself into oblivion. What was your excuse the last time?"

"Brock called me slutty. It kinda set me off. I was really mad and Lori Ann thought that I needed some stress relief."

"Drinking yourself into oblivion and having one-night stands is not an appropriate kind of stress relief. What is the world is goin' on with you?"

"You are such a mo-ron! I guess that having one-night stands is only appropriate as long as I'm having them with you."

"I'm sorry, honey. I don't like seein' other men putting their hands on you. I was jealous, but I didn't take advantage of you. We weren't gonna have a one-night stand. You didn't even know who I was. All I did was get you outta there before you did something you'd regret later. Now you're back to name callin'. I know that you love me though."

Reba groaned. "I hate you, love you, you mo-ron."

"I heard you say that you love me. You know if I was there we wouldn't be havin' this fight."

"Why is that?"

"Because I would kiss you and that would break the tension. You always start a fight when you're frustrated and most of the time you're frustrated when there's sexual attraction goin' on. See I know you. You usually reacted with name calling and then you smack me. There's always a lot of sexual tension between us."

Reba sighed. "Yeah, there's a lot of somethin' between us. I wish that I didn't love you anymore."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? It's crazy for me to keep putting myself in situations where I always end up alone and hurting. I'm hurting right now. Do you know why I have nightmares? Do you even remember what my nightmares are about?"

"I don't want you to be hurting. I want us to be together. You keep leaving. I don't wanna force you to be with me. If you were with me, I would try to help you so you wouldn't have nightmares anymore."

"I'll tell you what my nightmares are about. I have nightmares about Tommy Johnson, Kim, you leaving me at the wedding, the baby dying, our breakup, every time that I've came close to dyin', my miscarriage, me walkin' out on you, Brock walkin' out on me, Brock askin' for the divorce while tellin' me about BJ being pregnant, my dad walkin' out on my mom, and every fight that I've ever had with you and Brock. My heart has just been bleedin' all over the place. I can't handle any more heartache. I have to be sure about things before I go jumpin' into another marriage. I can't handle another divorce."

"We're gonna work on everything. I promise. I am not Brock. We're not like your parents. If you'd talk to me about what happened with Tommy Johnson, then maybe you'd feel better. You stuff down the bad things and ignore 'em. That's why it's eating you alive. We need to talk things out. I know that you never talk about John. You've gotta get that out and work on your feelings. You are only human, Reba. You aren't superhuman. You have strengths and weaknesses just like the rest of us. It's not wrong to ask for help or talk to people who love you when you're hurtin'. Do you want to talk about John or miscarriage? I'm here for ya, Sal. I loved John too. I lost him too. It's okay to grieve with me. When you come here, I'd like us to go put flowers on his grave together. I've gone every year on our anniversary and his birthday. I had hopes and plans for our children. We gave the other baby a name. We planned to have a life together. When we lost the pregnancy, I lost you."

"How do we work our way back to each other? I don't wanna keep goin' on the way we are. What we've had over the last six years seems like a few flings. I don't wanna just keep jumpin' into bed with you anymore."

"I never asked you to. You initiate that every time. And for the record, we aren't exactly jumpin' into beds. We never get that far."

Reba protests with embarrassment. "Jack, you could always say no."

"What man in his right mind would refuse to make love with a beautiful woman like you?"

Reba laughed softly. "What about my letter? Do you have an answer for me?"

"Yes, but I have some conditions. I am not agreeing to be a donor with no strings attached. If you want me to father your children, you are raising them with me."

"How do we do that? I live in Houston and you live in another state. It's not like you're prepared to come here. I can do this on my own. I really want this and I've wanted it since the miscarriage. I've wanted this since John died. You are the father of one of my children. Why shouldn't we do it again? You can be as involved as you want. We don't have to be married to have a baby. I told you that when I was pregnant with John."

"Sal, I want to be married to you. I'm not agreeing to father our child if you won't marry me. We have a deal in place to get married by December."

"Only if I'm not married by then."

"Who else are you gonna get to marry you and father your child by then?"

"Jack Morgan offered to be a donor with no strings attached."

Mike inhaled a breath sharply. "Honey, please don't do that."

"I'm not. I couldn't even have sex with him when we were in a relationship. Do you wanna know why? Because I haven't been able to have sex with any other man in the last six years. It's just so different. It doesn't feel right. When I'm with you, it feels right. When I was with Brock, it felt right too. I can't find that in other relationships."

"I can't believe that I'm askin' this. What about Brock? What's going on with him?"

"I'm not gonna lie to you. He is still married to Barbra Jean, but they are separated. He is stayin' here in Cheyenne's old bedroom until he finds a place of his own. You shouldn't feel threatened by this. I swear that nothing's goin' on. He doesn't even look at me in that way, let alone want me in his bed. I got over wanting him a long time ago. He didn't even want the baby that I was having the last time. This is a man who got a vasectomy because he was repulsed by the idea of having a baby with me.

He doesn't want any more children and he can't have any more children. You have no reason to be jealous of him. There is no way that he and I would ever think of having anything more than a friendship between us. He has a young blonde wife who is way more attractive than me. They've been having sex while separated. There is no need for him to cheat on his wife when he's getting satisfied at home. She's kinda crazy though. That's why they have problems. My only options for havin' a baby are artificial insemination with an anonymous donor in a lab or havin' a baby with you. I have some conditions of my own before I agree to marry you. First, I want us to go on a date."

"Honey, I find that hard to believe that Brock's wife is more attractive than you. You are the hottest woman I've ever seen. I agree to that condition. A date together sounds like a good idea. If you come out here, I could take you out for your birthday or for our anniversary. How about dinner and dancing? We always have fun together."

"Sounds good to me. Kim was suggesting that to me yesterday. We're going shopping today. I have another condition. We're not just getting into bed together. I'm serious. You are not getting lucky at the end of the date."

"I promise. I won't try anything, but I'm not refusing you if you initiate. I'll be a perfect gentleman, but I'm not rejecting your advances."

"Okay. But you've got to ask my father's permission to marry me again. We'll need permission from your children and mine. I'll have to get Kim's blessing and I'm comin' clean about everything to her. I had to swallow my pride and give my blessing to Brock and Barbra Jean when they got married. You've got to straight things out with Brock like I am with Kim. I mean it. We'll all have to get along for the sake of the children. We have to spend holidays with Sam, Jenny, Nick, Cheyenne, Van, and Kyra. We still have to raise Jake, Josh, and the youngest until they are 18. What's the little one's name? I forgot to ask Kim today."

"His name is Terry. Kim named him after Terry. Just don't mess up around the kids. I'm a dad to Terry, not Uncle Mike. You have to remember that."

"The last thing the world needed was another Terry Holliway. You don't have to worry. I cared about your brother a lot. I'll treat Terry just like the other kids. It will be just like if you'd had a baby during our on and off relationship. I can be a good stepmother to your children. I'll love them like my own. I will learn to get along with Kim. I can be forgiving. We just have to work out how things will work because we live in two different states. I'm starting college. I want to stay in Houston while I'm in school and Jake's in high school. I can live here. You can live in Oklahoma. We can see each other on weekends. I'll fly out there one weekend and you'll fly out here on the next weekend. That way we'll see each other all the time. We can talk on the phone every night. I have another condition. You should come clean with Brock and ask for his blessing. You're gonna have to swallow some pride just like I am. That condition is not up for negotiation."

"I'm not comfortable with that situation. You want to be a part-time wife and you want me to be a part-time dad. That's not much different than raising the kids together without being married. That would be like a divorced couple with visitation. We need to come up with a plan that works for both of us. You didn't want a life like that for Cheyenne or Maggie. Why would you want that for our children? I understand about asking the kids for permission to get married. I'll ask your father for permission also, but I don't understand why I should ask Brock. It's not like he asked my permission when he took you away from me."

"That's ridiculous. He didn't even know that I was with you. No one did. The secrecy was part of the affair. I ended things with you because I wanted something more permanent with Brock. I started to have feelings for him. We were having an affair that was going nowhere and it was killing me. Whatever happened to what's mine is ours? You said that we would've raised my babies as ours. You keep separating my children from our children. That's not gonna work, dear. I will treat your kids the same as I treat mine. You will treat my kids the same as you treat yours. Yours and mine will become ours. If you can't do that, the deal is off. I believe that we already had that argument just before I had my heart attack, the day that I died."

"He knew that I might still have feelings for you. He didn't talk to me about starting a relationship with you so soon after we broke up when John died. Why do you always say that? I hate when you talk about dying. You're still alive."

"I was legally dead for four minutes. That changed things. I'm not the same person I was before that happened. You only get this Reba. The old Reba isn't here anymore. I used to live in a shell, barely living. I lived my life on automatic ever since John died. Something has slowly been changing in me since the day that I woke up in the hospital. I have some doubts. I mean people don't usually meet the person that they're gonna marry at the ages of five and seven. Divorced people usually don't get remarried. Why do you want to marry me for anyway? Why get remarried? We didn't make it the first time. If it doesn't work out, there's gonna be so many people hurting-your kids, my kids, and any children that we have together."

"Once upon a time we promised to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. Did you mean it? I know that I did. I went into the marriage with Kim with the understanding that it was a marriage of convenience not love. That's why it didn't work out. We tried. I promise to keep working on our relationship every day of our lives. You said that you believed that fate brought us together. What do you think we have left between us? I think that things are good when we're together. We just can't live separate part-time lives."

"Yeah, I meant it when I said those vows. I will love you for the rest of my life. I couldn't get you out of my heart. You've been waiting for my marriage to Brock to end. That wasn't fair to Kim or Brock. Unlike you, I loved Brock, except in a different way. It was a mature relationship. I do believe that fate brought us together, but marriage is hard work. I haven't had much success in having a partner who will put in the work during the hard times. I love being with you. It's like wildfires every time I kiss ya. What we have is white-hot, but I'm afraid that it won't last forever. The passion is very intense. What happens when we don't feel that way anymore? It happens. It's not like you're gonna come out here to win me back. I've been waitin' for that to happen."

"Do you still want me? How long have you felt that way?"

"I want you every time you touch me. I've wanted you since I was fifteen."

"It's been twenty-seven years. That's almost thirty years. Honey, I'm still gonna want you every day for the next fifty years."

"I think that we need to take physical attraction out of the equation. I think that we should date and see where it goes. We've got time."

"How much time do we have? You're about to turn forty-two. You want us to have two more children. That's two years of time right there. We may not be able to conceive right away. How much time do you want to take?"

"I agree. We don't have much time left. I think that I'll be able to make a firm commitment by December. That shouldn't hurt our timetable. I want us to get to know each other again. I honestly want to make sure that we still have a strong relationship that will last. We used to have closeness. You were my best friend. I trusted you more than anyone else in the world. I need to be sure that I really feel that way in order to marry you again. We need to talk a lot. Communication is important."

"We'll talk every day. We can send e-mail back and forth and talk to each other online too. What's your screen name?"

"My screen name is RamblinRedRose. I like to play poker online. I'm pretty good too. I've even beaten Brock a few times. It'd be fun to see if I can beat you at poker."

"You're getting competitive now, huh? I don't have a screen name, but you already have my e-mail address."

"I play poker at the Best Poker Online website. I think that I have a screen name for you. You could be sexycowboy63 or luckycowboy80."

"I understand the first one, but why luckycowboy80?"

"That was the first time that you got lucky, cowboy. Remember that first party that you guys threw at your house after you moved back and your parents were away. That was the first time that we fooled around in your room. It was September 1980. The times before that was just kissin' in closets. That party was the first time that we did anything beyond kissin'. Listen, I have a tip for you for our date. Brush up on what I like. Try to remember all the things that we used to talk about. Try watchin' some of my favorite TV shows online. Wear some Stetson cologne or Carrington cologne. I love the way that the Carrington cologne smells on you and be sure to wear your Stetson hat."

"The same goes for you, except for the perfume. You're more of an Alexis than a Krystle, but I like the way that Forever Krystle smells on you."

"You remembered. I'm definitely more feisty than weepy. My favorite couple from that show was Alexis and Blake, even though they weren't together much. They were the couple who were divorced, but still had tons of chemistry. They just had to fight it because he got remarried to a much younger blonde."

"You also liked Dallas on Friday nights. You would tape it and we would watch it on Saturday afternoons."

"Yeah, the guys on that show were so good lookin'."

"Hey I take offensive to that. What about me? I met most of your criteria. You said that guys from Dallas were sexy and I moved to McAlester from Dallas. I played high school and college football. I wore the Stetson hat and cologne to impress you. I spent a lot of time getting to really know you. I listen to ya. I always get you flowers."

"I like the fact that you're jealous, but two can play at this game. I used to get jealous too. You used to watch Charlie's Angels and you had a crush on Farrah Fawcett. You even had her poster on your wall," Reba laughs softly, "Let's face it, we're fun together. I love to kid around with you and you like to tease me. Neither of us should take the jealousy stuff seriously. I need to get some more sleep before my kids wake up. I'm still really tired. Can we talk again later? Call me on my cell phone. I don't want my kids to answer your call. There will be too many questions. Fair enough?"

"I guess so. You wanna keep sneaking around a little longer. I'm disappointed, but we'll get a chance to make some decisions when you get here. I can't wait until you get here. I love you."

"Hey, sneaking around is kinda fun, you know. Some people consider it a turn-on. I'll see you soon. I kinda hate you, love you anyway. I'm still trying to decide if it's love, lust, or addiction. Go back to bed. Bye."

"You love me. I heard that hate had top billing, but I know that you love me. I've just gotta do some work to prove myself to you and I will. Go get your beauty sleep. Bye, darlin'."

Reba hung up the telephone and quickly tiptoed up the stairs to her bedroom. Meanwhile Brock was pondering the conversation that he had just listened to and tried to plan his next move. As he heard Reba's footsteps towards the bedroom, he closed his eyes and pretended to still be asleep. Reba crept into the room and gently slid into bed beside Brock. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Brock moved closer to Reba and pulled her back into his arms again.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she wakes up still wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? What is Brock planning? What's going on with Brock and Reba? Is Brock going to find out what Reba is hiding from him? What information does Barbra Jean get from Kim? Will Reba keep having nightmares? What will happen when Reba goes to Oklahoma? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. **

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	18. Keeping secrets

_Dear Readers-_

_I wanted to let you know that my new chapters will be posted on Sundays or Mondays, depending on how busy things get for me. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. The characters of Max Thornton, Paige McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from spring-summer 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- "Hey, sneaking around is kinda fun, you know. Some people consider it a turn-on. I'll see you soon. I kinda hate you, love you anyway. I'm still trying to decide if it's love, lust, or addiction. Go back to bed. Bye."

"You love me. I heard that hate had top billing, but I know that you love me. I've just gotta do some work to prove myself to you and I will. Go get your beauty sleep. Bye, darlin'."

Reba hung up the telephone and quickly tiptoed up the stairs to her bedroom. Meanwhile Brock was pondering the conversation that he had just listened to and tried to plan his next move. As he heard Reba's footsteps towards the bedroom, he closed his eyes and pretended to still be asleep. Reba crept into the room and gently slid into bed beside Brock. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Brock moved closer to Reba and pulled her back into his arms again.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she wakes up still wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? What is Brock planning? What's going on with Brock and Reba? Is Brock going to find out what Reba is hiding from him? What information does Barbra Jean get from Kim? Will Reba keep having nightmares? What will happen when Reba goes to Oklahoma? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 17 in the year 2008 with a conversation to introduce some new some important information. Brock was eavesdropping. He's planning something. Reba has no idea that Brock overheard her conversation. What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

Now on with our next chapter-

Brock woke up a couple hours later. Reba's body was still held in Brock's tight embrace. The two continued to sleep in this connected state despite the interruption of the phone call earlier. He was afraid to move for fear of waking Reba. He stayed still in bed just watching her sleep. She looked so calm and peaceful while she slept. There was no sign of the nightmares that had been plaguing her. When he felt Reba begin to stir, he closed his eyes again and pretended to be asleep. Reba felt Brock's arms around her as she woke up. Reba looked at Brock's sleeping face. She took her finger and trailed it softly down the right side of his face. She pressed her cheek to his before trying to get out of bed. Brock did not loosen his hold of her. He opened his eyes slowly and looked into her eyes.

"Good morning, Sunshine."

"'Morning, Brock." Reba said coarsely. She was unnerved at his greeting and attempted to get out of bed again without success.

"I have to get up, Brock."

"Wait a second, honey. I just wanna to talk to ya. After that, I'll let you get out of bed."

"Fine, so talk."

"You're wakin' up in a grouchy mood. How did you sleep?"

"This seemed to work. I don't remember any nightmares last night."

"I guess this seems pretty strange to you."

"Yeah, I've been wakin' up in this bed alone for the last seven years."

"Hey, it's only been six years since the divorce."

"We were separated for a year, Brock."

"I remember that the last time that I woke up with you in this bed was six years ago, July 2002. That was the last time that we made love, you know."

"I remember, Brock. You woke up in my bed once in the last whole year of our marriage."

"Our bed."

"My bed now."

"I know that, Reba. The room doesn't look much different than it used to. I haven't been up here since then."

"I'm a creature of habit, I guess. I don't go changin' things that often. We've had the furniture set up in the living room in the same way for the last fifteen years."

"You know if you ever need me to help you out like this again, you can feel free to ask. I don't want you to feel weird about it. We're friends, right?"

Reba relaxed in Brock's hold. "You're right. We are friends. There is no need for either of us to feel weird about this. It would just be easier if we could pretend that we were never husband and wife in this bed. Making comments about our marriage or previous sex life makes this really uncomfortable. If you can do that, then it will be easier for me to come to you for help like this."

Brock chose to ignore her last comment and continued the conversation. "Your birthday is coming up next week. How about I take you out for a birthday dinner? You can pick any restaurant you want. I can also take you to see a movie. How does that sound?"

Reba tensed again. "I'm sorry. I'm not gonna be here for my birthday, Brock. I'm going back home for my birthday."

Brock flinched at her reference to Oklahoma as home. "Are you sure? The kids wanted to celebrate your birthday with you."

"I'll celebrate with them before I leave. You can help the kids plan whatever they've got up their sleeves. I can always go to dinner and a movie with you when I get back, okay?"

"I guess that will be okay. You can pick the restaurant and the movie. Would you also like to go dancing too? I remember that you like to dance. Do you remember your 18th birthday party?"

Reba looked at Brock awkwardly. "I remember that you showed up with Kim as your date that night."

"Yeah, but you and I danced together that night. Remember? I remember that you got up on stage and sang too. If you want to, we can go to a karaoke bar. You have such a beautiful voice. I miss hearing you sing. That night was also the first time that I'd ever seen you in lingerie."

"What was a horrible memory! That's not exactly how I wanted to remember that night. My father walked into my bedroom with you and Terry to catch us in the act. The only thing that you guys saw was Mike on the bed with me and I was dressed in lingerie. All we were doing was kissing. I was mortified. All these years and the memory that you take from it was seeing me in lingerie. I'd forgotten what a dirty mind you have, Brock."

"You looked so beautiful that night. It's been twenty-five years and you still look so amazing. You don't look a day over twenty."

"What's with the sweet talkin', Brock? You're buttering me up for somethin'."

"I take offense to that. I was trying to make a genuine compliment. If you want me to make a dirty comment, then I'll remind ya about what happened three days after your birthday." Reba groaned and Brock continued. "You were flirting with me. You walked right up to me with desire in your eyes. You trailed your finger along the rim of my shot glass, then you sucked the alcohol right off that finger." Brock lowered his voice as he continued. "You kept touchin' my chest. We drank some shots together and danced. I still remember how good it felt to hold you like that. Before I knew it, you were leadin' me into the bedroom. We kissed and fell to the floor together. I never wanted anyone so bad in my whole life."

"I also remember that I punched you in the gut and then kneed you in the groin. I had to teach you a lesson."

"Please teach me a lesson like that more often, except without the punching and kicking."

Reba laughed. "Really? I can't do anything like that anymore, you dirty old man."

"Why can't ya? There's no harm in it. It's just a little flirting, honey."

"Don't call me honey. I told ya that before. I can't because we don't feel that way about each other anymore. No feelings of desire left. We're just friends just like we should've been all along. That was going really well before until you decided to cross the line."

"No feelings left, huh? Cross the line yourself and see what happens. I dare you."

Reba laughed. "Fine. I'll show ya, then we're gonna stop talkin' about stuff like this. We are just friends."

Brock was shocked that she'd ever take that challenge. He waited to see what she'd do. Reba kissed him with all the passion she had always put into her kisses with Mike. Her tongue started begging for an entrance and he let her in. She pulled away after a couple of minutes and got out of Brock's arms. She got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. Brock was too stunned to react.

"See, I told ya. Nothin'. No sparks at all. It was like kissing Parker Reynolds. Now we can go on as friends. You really should go see Barbra Jean. I'm sure that she'd be glad to see ya."

"I can't do that. Things are really bad now. The sparks I once felt for her are gone. We're not even dating anymore." Brock looked at Reba for her reaction before continuing. "For the record, that was the best kiss of my whole life. Where was that woman when we were married?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't feel anythin'. For your information, you hardly inspired that type of passion in me. Like I told you before, your technique barely qualified as sufficient when we were together."

"I can prove that my technique is more than adequate, honey. Come here for a second and let me show ya."

Reba laughed. "I don't have time to play games with you, Brock. I've proven my point and that's all there is to it. I've got to take a shower now and get dressed. Kim will be here soon." She grabbed her robe and rushed into the bathroom. She actually managed to get away without him seeing any reaction from her at all. She shut the door quickly, locking it. Then she slid her back down against the door in relief. She touched her lips where she still felt the sensation of Brock's lips on hers. "Craaap!"

Reba had a fun visit with Kim for the next few days. She maintained a mask of irritability around Brock. Brock and the kids planned a family birthday party for Reba for her birthday. The kids made her a birthday cake. Brock cooked dinner. She opened gifts from Brock and the kids. Brock surprised her by telling her that he still had another gift waiting for her when she returned to Houston. Reba knew that things were bad between Brock and Barbra Jean when Brock didn't invite Barbra Jean to the family birthday party. Reba made arrangements to go out with her as soon as she returned from Oklahoma. Reba had a few more phone calls with Mike up until she left for McAlester.

Brock knew that something was up because Reba went into her bedroom and locked the door just to talk on her cell phone. The wall between the two bedrooms was thin so it was easy to hear Reba's voice through the wall when she was talking on the phone late at night. Reba didn't have any more nightmares in the days leading up to her departure from Houston. An interesting thing happened though. Reba was intrigued by instant messages that she received online. The messages first started in the chat box on the Best Poker Online website while she was playing poker. Brock was there as usual playing poker under his screen name, GoldenGod. She beat him in two games easily and then he left the site. She thought that it was so funny that he still played poker there and she still had him fooled about who RamblinRedRose was.

A short time later she was challenged to a game with a player named LovinCowboy84. She suspected that it might be Mike or Jack, but she wasn't sure. Jack was the only other person who knew that she played poker at that site. She asked some leading questions in the chat box, but the player didn't reveal his identity or his name. They started talking about their lives. Reba felt like she'd found a new friend. Soon LovinCowboy84 was sending her instant messages and e-mails anytime she was on the computer.

Reba returned from Oklahoma three days after she left. She came home four days early. She went up to her room, locked the door, and stayed there for hours. She went through two tissue boxes and Cheyenne had to go to the store to buy more. Reba wouldn't come down to eat or see anyone. Loud music blared through the walls of her bedroom. She played sad songs, cheating songs, and break-up songs. She played one song, Addicted, frequently about twice per hour. She sang along to this song loudly.

_It's like you're a drug  
It's like you're a demon I can't face down  
It's like I'm stuck  
It's like I'm running from you all the time  
And I know I let you have all the power  
It's like the only company I seek is misery all around  
It's like you're a leech  
Sucking the life from me  
It's like I can't breathe  
Without you inside of me  
And I know I let you have all the power  
And I realize I'm never gonna quit you over time_

It's like I can't breathe  
It's like I can't see anything  
Nothing but you  
I'm addicted to you  
It's like I can't think  
Without you interrupting me  
In my thoughts  
In my dreams  
You've taken over me  
It's like I'm not me  
It's like I'm not me

It's like I'm lost  
It's like I'm giving up slowly  
It's like you're a ghost that's haunting me  
Leave me alone  
And I know these voices in my head  
Are mine alone  
And I know I'll never change my ways  
If I don't give you up now

It's like I can't breathe  
It's like I can't see anything  
Nothing but you  
I'm addicted to you  
It's like I can't think  
Without you interrupting me  
In my thoughts  
In my dreams  
You've taken over me  
It's like I'm not me  
It's like I'm not me

I'm hooked on you  
I need a fix  
I can't take it  
Just one more hit  
I promise I can deal with it  
I'll handle it, quit it  
Just one more time  
Then that's it  
Just a little bit more to get me through this  
I'm hooked on you  
I need a fix  
I can't take it  
Just one more hit  
I promise I can deal with it  
I'll handle it, quit it  
Just one more time  
Then that's it  
Just a little bit more to get me through this

It's like I can't breathe  
It's like I can't see anything  
Nothing but you  
I'm addicted to you  
It's like I can't think  
Without you interrupting me  
In my thoughts  
In my dreams  
You've taken over me  
It's like I'm not me  
It's like I'm not me

Brock became increasingly worried about Reba. He decided to let her have some space to deal with whatever she was going through for the first day. If she wasn't out of her room by the next day, he would take action. Reba was exhausted from the traveling and the misery. She cried herself to sleep and slept for four hours that afternoon, but by the time it was much later that night, she decided that she was all cried out. She didn't want to fall asleep crying again. She got on the computer. LovinCowboy84 was online and sent her an instant message.

**LovinCowboy84:** Long time, no see. How are you? Did you have a nice time on your trip?

**RamblinRedRose:** Not exactly. My birthday was great. I celebrated with my sister and my friends in Ada. We went to a bar and I rode on the mechanical bull. I sang karaoke. My sister dared me to drink 42 shots of whiskey. I didn't get that far. Everything was going fine. I was having fun. The only problem is that I chose the wrong bar. I happened to choose a bar that was owned by one of my exes. My boyfriend wanted to surprise me so he showed up at the bar. My ex decided to try to make a move on me after I'd had about 20 shots. My boyfriend saw what happened and left angry. If he'd stayed a couple of minutes more, he would've seen me slap my ex. The man kissed me and I didn't kiss him back. My boyfriend and I spent the next day fighting and it was our anniversary. We said some things that we shouldn't have said and I walked out. You'd think that I'd be smarter than that.

My second marriage ended in the same way. I was too mad to think straight. I let one of my friends talk me into a plan to get the fighting to stop. I was just supposed to make a move on him to get him to calm down and then I was supposed to shut him down. It was supposed to get him to chase after me and apologize. It had always worked before. About halfway into putting the plan into action, I decided that I was going to use it to break up with him. I was really mad. I made a comment that my ex-husband was better in bed and available to me at home. I didn't mean it. The problem is that the topic of my ex-husband is my boyfriend's Achilles heel. I've given him reason to worry about the two of us before. I got back together with my boyfriend during my divorce.

I was planning to marry him and then I realized that I still had feelings for my ex-husband so I left. We've struggled to stay together through the years because he is worried that feelings could be rekindled between my ex-husband and me. He doesn't want to lose me. There's no way that I'd actually want something like that to happen. My ex-husband and I are just good friends. The thing is that I was sorry about ten minutes later, but I'd already walked out and drove away. The next day I got on a plane headed back to Texas. There are some things that you say when you're angry that you can never take back easily. My boyfriend didn't want to talk to me before I left for the airport so I never got the chance to say anything else. He hung up on me when I tried to call later and I've never been sorrier in my whole life.

Reba was happy to finally have someone to talk to. She'd kept the story bottled up until then.

**LovinCowboy84:** Maybe you'll hear from him when he finally calms down.

**RamblinRedRose: **I'm not sure. He's really mad this time. He didn't know about the ex who was kissing me so he felt even more betrayed.

**LovinCowboy84: **Why didn't you tell him about that ex?

**RamblinRedRose: **It was a sticky situation that I wasn't proud of. He wasn't really an ex. Just someone that I made a mistake with when I was eighteen.

**LovinCowboy84: **What kind of mistake did you make?

**RamblinRedRose: **My child had died about a month and a half before that night. I was miserable and not thinking straight. My boss, Max was the only one who had befriended me throughout my pregnancy. I was a single mother having a baby alone. My son was born premature and died when he was two days old. I didn't handle it well. I shut out my son's father, who happens to be my current boyfriend.

I drank more than I should have. Max was comforting me and I didn't realize that he was slowly coming on to me. We had a one night stand. I was so ashamed of myself in the morning. I woke up early and snuck out of his bed. I packed my stuff fast and left town in a hurry. I showed up at my boyfriend's apartment and I never told him about what happened with Max. It was just a stupid mistake. That what makes what happened on my birthday so much worse in my boyfriend's eyes. The thing is that my ex-husband made the same mistake himself. I remember that I was just as unforgiving as my boyfriend is now. I'm thinking that I deserve what I get now. I made him just as miserable as I am now.

**LovinCowboy84: **You do not deserve this. Your mistake happened over twenty years ago, right?

**RamblinRedRose: **Yes. I never even thought about it again until two days ago. I just feel guilty for being so unforgiving to my ex-husband before. He's been nothing but great to me lately. We've just gotten into a friendship again and I've refused to see him or talk to him since I got home. I've been pretty self-absorbed in my room, crying my eyes out.

**LovinCowboy84: **You could try reaching out. You'd be surprised at how much support you'd find around you if you'd let others help you. Your kids have to be pretty confused about everything going on with you right now.

During Reba's online conversation, Brock answers the home telephone. "Reba, there's someone named Paige calling for you. Should I tell her to call back another time?" He yells this message from the stairs.

Reba sticks her head out from the bedroom. "No. I'll take the call. I'll answer it in here.

**RamblinRedRose:** Hold on, my sister is calling me. I'll be right back.

Reba answers the call on the telephone in her bedroom. She has a brief conversation with Paige and quickly hangs up.

**RamblinRedRose: **Hi. I'm back. My sister called me to give me an update.

**LovinCowboy84:** An update?

**RamblinRedRose: **She's at my boyfriend's apartment talking to him about what happened. He's still not okay. He's okay about what happened at the bar now, but he's furious about the comment I made about my ex-husband. He doesn't want to talk to me. The last time he got this mad it took him at least a year before he cooled off. That time, I was really drunk at a bar with my best friend. He came to Texas to surprise me. I was too drunk to know what I was doing. I said something to upset him.

He found out that my ex-husband was separated from his new wife. He was afraid to come back until he was sure that nothing was going on with my ex-husband and me. I'm going to have to let him cool off awhile longer. My sister did the best she could to help. I've got to be patient for awhile. It's not like I have a love life in Texas. I haven't found anyone who makes me feel the way he does. I feel every emotion at once when I'm with him. No matter how bad things get, we usually bounce back. I can't believe that he took my comment seriously. I've always told him how great our sex life is. I rate him a perfect 10 in the bedroom. It's honestly that good between us.

**LovinCowboy84:** He can't be the only man that you've been with since your divorce. Haven't you dated at all?

**RamblinRedRose: **I've dated, but I haven't found anyone that I've fallen in love with other than my boyfriend. I don't believe in sex without love. With the exception of Max, I loved the two other men that I was intimate with. I realize how unusual that is, but I'm old-fashioned. I believe that two people should only have sex if they are in love.

**LovinCowboy84:** So you really love your boyfriend?

**RamblinRedRose:** Yes. I've waited years to be with him. What I feel is so powerful that it scares me. It always did. That's how I've measured my feelings. I have to feel something that strong for me to call it love. I've only felt that way twice in my life.

**LovinCowboy84:** What happened between you and your ex-husband if you loved each other that much?

**RamblinRedRose:** We had problems with communication. He spent a lot of time with friends after work. He wasn't around when I needed him. I was raising three kids, cooking, and cleaning alone. Most couples work as a team with the house and the kids. We didn't. He had a midlife crisis and decided that he didn't want to be with me anymore. He found someone else who was better for him and started a new family with her. It took me awhile before my feelings went away. Everything happens for a reason. I think that I'm finally in a good place in my life to be able to have an honest relationship with good communication. I just have to work on my temper and my control issues.

**LovinCowboy84:** Can I ask you a question?

**RamblinRedRose: **Sure. Ask away.

**LovinCowboy84:** What's your family like? You never did tell me about them.

**RamblinRedRose:** My parents are complicated. That's a story for another time. My oldest daughter is grown and married with two children of her own. She has a really good marriage. My son-in-law really works with her as a team. My younger daughter will be starting college in the fall. My son is my youngest and he starts his last year of middle school in the fall also. Then there's my sister. She's my younger half-sister.

She is the same age as my oldest child would have been if he hadn't died. It's strange because I'm old enough to be her mother. She helps me to not take things so seriously sometimes. She helps me relate to my kids better. We have the same father. Her mother died about ten years ago. She doesn't get along with my mother that well so I'm there for her as much as I can be. My boyfriend also helps her out when he can. She knows that she can go to him for anything if she can't get a hold of me. She's great, but I tend to get into trouble whenever I try anything that is her idea of fun. My two best friends are the same way though and they're my age.

**LovinCowboy84: **Where does your sister live?

**RamblinRedRose:** She lives on her own now in my hometown. She's a part-time bartender and a part-time radio deejay. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger.

**LovinCowboy84:** We got a little off-track here. I was talking to you about reaching out for support from your family earlier. Will you at least try to talk to them and see if you feel better? Everyone needs help every once in awhile. You seem to blame yourself for a lot of what's going on around you.

**RamblinRedRose:** I told you that I have control issues. I take on everything, including blame. I have a close friend who is a neighbor. I promise that I will talk with her and my kids tomorrow. I hope that I can get a good night's sleep.

**LovinCowboy84:** We've been talking for awhile now. I better let you try to get some sleep. I'll talk to you again soon. I hope that you feel better tomorrow. Goodnight.

**RamblinRedRose:** I hope that you have a nice day tomorrow. Goodnight.

Reba logged off the computer. She poked her head out of her bedroom. "Hey, Brock."

"Yes. Do you need somethin', honey?"

"Where are the kids?"

"Cheyenne and Van took Elizabeth to a movie. Kyra went to a gig with her band. Jake is at a friend's house. Did you want to spend some time with the kids?"

"I feel bad about shuttin' myself off from everyone today. I just wanted to let the kids know that I'm okay."

"It's alright. You can talk to them tomorrow. I wanted to give you your other birthday surprise. Would that be okay? How about dinner? Do you want me to make you somethin' to eat?"

"I don't feel like comin' out of my room that much right now."

"I can make you dinner and you can eat it in your room. I can also give you your surprise in your room, too."

"Sure, but I'm not sure that I want to be alone right now. I feel like mopin' around, but I'd like to have some company."

"Do you want to watch some TV?"

"Brock, the TV is downstairs. I don't want to go downstairs. We could play cards or somethin'."

"Are you sure the TV is downstairs?"

"Brock, you mo-ron, of course the TV is downstairs. I don't have a TV in my room."

"Really?" Brock walked into Reba's closet. He lifted up a blanket that revealed two wrapped boxes. He carried them over to Reba's bed for her to open.

Reba tore open the packaging on the boxes. "Oh my gosh, Brock, thank you so much! I can't believe that you bought me a TV and a DVD/VCR combo player for my room. This was really nice of you." She gave him a quick hug.

"Now you can watch TV in your room."

"Only if you're watchin' TV with me. We can have dinner and watch a movie right here."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll just get this hooked up and then I'll make us some dinner. You just sit here and relax. You've had a tough day. I'm here if you wanna talk about it anytime."

Reba was lying down at the foot of the bed watching TV while Brock made dinner. He carried a tray of food upstairs. He set the tray down on the bed. Reba sat up and looked at the food he prepared trying to stifle a giggle.

"What?"

"Macaroni and cheese with chicken tenders and beer. Only you would come up with somethin' like that."

"Hey, I'm a wiz with a microwave."

"Be honest. One of the kids helps you make dinner when it's your turn to cook, right?"

"No. Barbra Jean did teach me how to cook some things and anything else I microwave using directions off the package. I wanted to fix somethin' fast. I figured that you had to be starving because you hadn't eaten all day."

"I'm sorry. Thanks for pullin' a dinner together so fast. I am really hungry and thanks for the beer."

"Hey, you had a rough day. I figured that you could use it."

"What movie are we gonna watch? I wanna play a DVD. Could you go downstairs and get one for us to watch?" Reba asked with pleading eyes.

"Sure. Do you want to watch a romantic comedy or somethin' else?"

"I want somethin' with laughs and a romantic happy ending. I haven't seen a lot of those in my life lately."

"Comin' right up. Do ya want anything else while I'm down there?"

"Buttered popcorn for the movie and some more beer. I don't want ya to have to make more trips downstairs. Thanks."

Brock nodded and rushed downstairs. He came back five minutes later with a six pack of beer, a bowl of popcorn with butter poured on it, and Reba's favorite movie, While You Were Sleeping. Reba gave him a look. He couldn't fool her. She knew that he just popped some microwave popcorn and put it in a big bowl. He seemed to rush through everything tonight.

She looked over at the movie and smiled. He picked out her favorite movie. He seemed eager to meet her every request. It wasn't perfect the way that it would have been if she had done it herself, but it worked. She finally got some help without having to cajole her family into it. It seemed surreal that Brock would be so helpful without question after all the times that he left her to fend for herself in the past. She realized that he spent a lot of money on birthday gifts for her.

She got three presents from Brock. She suspected that he also helped the kids pay for their presents too. She wondered what got into him. He was spending a lot of money just to celebrate her birthday. He hadn't done that since her 19th birthday, which was shortly before they got married. That was against his nature because he was known for being incredibly cheap. He also seemed to be in a better mood than he was when she left for Oklahoma. She figured that he finally must have gone to see Barbra Jean. She hoped that things were getting better for the two of them.

"At least someone around here gets to fix their love life." Reba thought to herself.

The previews came on and Reba decided to ask him about how it was going with Barbra Jean.

"You seem to be in a better mood. Is there anything special goin' on for ya?"

"Not much. It's the same as it was."

"I thought that maybe you'd seen Barbra Jean. I thought that maybe things were gettin' better for y'all."

"I'm in therapy and workin' on my own issues. Building good positive communication is a long, slow process. Barbra Jean and I haven't argued in a few days. That's better, I guess. Today was a good day because I haven't been hit, yelled at, or argued with by either one of my wives. That's progress."

"That's because you haven't managed to mess anythin' up today, but if it would make you more comfortable, I could hit ya."

Brock laughed. "I guess that I messed up a lot in the last ten years or so. Do you remember when we used to have days when you didn't get mad and hit me?"

Reba shook her head and chuckled a little. "I don't know about you, Brock. When did it become normal daily behavior for you to act like a giant butt?"

"I used to be very selfish, I know. I'm workin' on that. I want to be the kind of guy that his family can depend on. You remember that guy that I used to be, right?"

"Briefly, but it's been a long time since then. I started to think that the good times were just a phase and that other behavior was the real you."

"That other behavior was a symptom of temporary insanity, honey. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that."

"That's water under the bridge. I'm your friend, not your wife. I don't have to worry about that anymore. As friends, we're good. Barbra Jean is the one that you should be apologizing to, but temporary insanity would explain how you ended up with her."

Brock smiled and laughed at her last comment. "If I want to be with a goofy woman, then all I have to do is tease ya or chase ya around the house so I don't need to go far to get that."

"You haven't done that in years. You're really pullin' memories from way back. Are you really okay? You sound different. You can talk to me if somethin' is goin' on with you. You know that, right?"

"I'm in therapy, Reba. I have to go through everything that I've ever done in my life in order to fix my problems. Nothing else is goin' on with me, but I want to reciprocate the offer. I need you to know that you can talk to me about anything that's botherin' you. I'd like to help you anytime you need someone. That's what friends are for. You don't have to be the strong one all the time."

"Right now, my problem is that men are mo-rons. They insist on bein' right about everything. They don't want to listen to explanations when they've already gone off the deep end and it's a fast jump to the deep end. I'm actually not referrin' to you this time, Brock, so don't jump to conclusions."

"Hey, we're makin' progress as friends. You are talkin' to me about a problem. This is good. Keep goin'."

"The movie is startin'. I'll talk to you later."

Brock put his arm around Reba and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry that somebody hurt you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. You are a good woman and you don't deserve to be treated like that. The kids and I are workin' on making your life easier for you. It's important that you go back to school. We fully support you, honey."

Reba relaxed against Brock's shoulder while they sat quietly in her bed watching the movie. She decided to put her troubles behind her for the time being and just relax. Stressing out about problems was not good for her blood pressure. This friendship with Brock was really working out better than she thought it would. She wondered how long he would be around to help her out while she went to school. She knew that eventually he'd be going home to patch things up with Barbra Jean.

By the end of the movie, they were both extremely tired and couldn't keep their eyes open. Brock slid Reba's sleeping figure down into the sheets and covered them both with the comforter. He knew that Reba would be mad if they fell asleep with the TV, DVD player, and the light left on. He used the remote to turn off the TV and DVD player; and then he turned off the lamp on Reba's nightstand before allowing his eyes to close and his body to relax into sleep.

Reba woke up the next morning. She was startled to find Brock asleep beside her. She was even more shocked that she'd slept in his arms again. She shook Brock awake. "Get up, Brock."

"What time is it?"

"Time for you to go back to your own room."

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Brock, Barbra Jean will be over here any minute to have coffee with me. I don't want her to find out about this. I also don't want the kids to see this either. It would be too confusing for them."

"Nothing happened. We didn't do anything wrong here."

"I doubt that Cheyenne, Kyra, or Barbra Jean would see it that way. They'll assume that we're lying because something really did happen between us last night."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your track record speaks for itself. You usually do have somethin' to hide. How many times have you slept in here with me?"

"Twice in the last seven years."

"Exactly. We haven't even fallen asleep on the couch together watching TV. This won't look right to them. I usually don't allow you this close to me."

"Fine. What do we do? Barbra Jean is dropping Henry off this morning. He's staying here with us for the week."

"All the more reason to get ready fast. I'll get dressed here. You can sneak back to your room. Hopefully we won't get caught in the meantime."

They heard a knock on the door. "Good morning, Reba. Are you decent?"

Reba glared at Brock and smacked him upside the head. "See. I told you. Get in the bathroom. I'll take her downstairs and then you can sneak back to your room," Reba whispered. Brock nodded and rushed into the bathroom.

"Barbra Jean, I'm trying to get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okie dokie, Smokey." Reba chuckled at Barbra Jean's silliness.

Reba started to change her clothes. Brock stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Is the coast clear?"

Reba reacted as quietly as she could. "Darn it, Brock. You did this on purpose. Are you tryin' to sneak a peek? Quit starin' at me." Reba was standing there in her bra and underwear. Brock quietly chuckled. Reba glared at him again. He went back into the bathroom again. Reba shook her head in disbelief. She tried to figure out if she could get Barbra Jean downstairs before she could see Brock in Reba's bedroom.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Will Barbra Jean catch Brock coming out of Reba's room? Who is LovinCowboy84? Will Reba keep trying to maintain a safe distance from Brock? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. **

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**Watch Working Class on CMT on Fridays and spread the word around. Melissa Peterman's new show is so funny! Working Class is on at 8 pm Eastern/7 pm Central. **

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	19. Reba's drama

_Dear Readers-_

_Happy President's Day! I wanted to remind you that my new chapters will be posted on Sundays or Mondays, depending on how busy things get for me. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. The characters of Max Thornton, Paige McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- They heard a knock on the door. "Good morning, Reba. Are you decent?"

Reba glared at Brock and smacked him upside the head. "See. I told you. Get in the bathroom. I'll take her downstairs and then you can sneak back to your room," Reba whispered. Brock nodded and rushed into the bathroom.

"Barbra Jean, I'm trying to get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okie dokie, Smokey." Reba chuckled at Barbra Jean's silliness.

Reba started to change her clothes. Brock stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Is the coast clear?"

Reba reacted as quietly as she could. "Darn it, Brock. You did this on purpose. Are you tryin' to sneak a peek? Quit starin' at me." Reba was standing there in her bra and underwear. Brock quietly chuckled. Reba glared at him again. He went back into the bathroom again. Reba shook her head in disbelief. She tried to figure out if she could get Barbra Jean downstairs before she could see Brock in Reba's bedroom.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Will Barbra Jean catch Brock coming out of Reba's room? Who is LovinCowboy84? Will Reba keep trying to maintain a safe distance from Brock? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 18 in the present year of the story-2008 with an online conversation to introduce some important information and some Reba/Brock moments. Brock dared Reba to kiss him. She does and pretends to be unaffected. Brock tried to cheer Reba up after her breakup. He bought her a new TV and DVD/VCR combo player for her bedroom. He brought up some old memories and apologized for his past bad behavior. He found out briefly about Paige, except Reba hasn't revealed her connection to Paige. What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- I get many ideas from watching episodes of Reba and Working Class. I try to insert some references as hints to readers. I liked the character of Renee enough to put some of Renee's qualities into Reba Hart for my story. Reba's new character, Renee is a rich old baroness who been married to wealthy men multiple times. This led me to think that maybe Reba Hart could also have a small interest in shows that contain wealthy oil families. She could also have an interest in watching shows that were at the top of the ratings during the 80's decade.. Reba also enjoys soap operas so I added that into my story. I like making the reference to Another World. By the way, the actor who played Mike Holliway on Reba used to play a villain in a soap opera. I took a little of that actor's previous character and added it to this version of Mike Holliway. If Mike were perfect, there wouldn't be much of a story to tell. I definitely wanted to balance out Mike and Brock's traits to make it a fair challenge. _

_Christopher Rich was an actor on Another World in the early 80's. He played a gigolo. With that idea and Brock's obsession with his looks, I came up with new ideas for the story to add a little more tension between Reba and Brock. Another World was my favorite soap opera in the 80's and 90's. After ten years, the show got brought back from cancellation because new episodes are written and posted online for the fans twice a week and I'm not just talking fan-fiction here. It's called Another World Today. I recommend it because the writing is terrific. I wish that a writer would get a sponsor and get Reba's sitcom brought back online with new episodes with the approval of the creative team that owns the sitcom. That would be like a dream coming true._

_Here are some things that I picked up from Melissa Peterman's Carli Mitchell-LOL! It's okay to still pine away for your ex-husband when he comes into town to visit, even if he was a terrible husband. Always cook his favorite meal. Wear a low-cut top and a miniskirt while serving sex-mex enchiladas. Carli said that she's in the mood, really in the mood-It's been a long time since she's had "enchiladas". She advises that "when it comes to love follow your heart, not the scent of Old Spice and Jack Daniels". She squeals when her ex rings the doorbell. Reba always smells like roses and lemons. Carli will settle for lemon furniture polish. She'll smell like lemons, all right. _

_Carli's ex-husband almost has the same hair style and color as Brock. Carli stands behind her ex to check out the view. It would be funny if Reba Hart would happen to do the same thing to Brock. My wheels are turning with ideas to use this and make it funny. Carli's ex-husband greets her by flirting with her and hugging her. He seemed to like that Carli "smells like lemonade". He comes with presents to win over the family, but they don't seem to like him as much as Carli does. Carli's ex also seems to be as cheap as Brock. _

_After the flirting, he introduced her to his new girlfriend. He's full of himself and insensitive. The kids instantly liked their dad's new girlfriend. The ex-wife and new girlfriend traded wise-cracking insults and innuendo. The girlfriend joked about how much sex she's having with the ex-husband and grabbed his backside. This would be funny for me to use for Reba Hart in my story. The ex-husband was openly affectionate with his new girlfriend in front of his ex-wife. Also, the ex-wife and new girlfriend get in a jealous catfight, but I've already used those ideas in my story._

_I love it when Carli complains about "what type of woman goes into her boyfriend's ex-wife's house and just waltzes in like she owns the place". The joke about Botox was funny. I thought about the episode with Jake's birthday party when Brock shows up with his face full of Botox. Carli comes home from a long day at work to find her ex-husband sitting on her couch playing video games and drinking beer. Carli starts to use wise-cracks to insult her ex-husband and he's still trying to charm her. I laughed so hard when the ex-husband played by John Schneider who starred on the Dukes of Hazzard in the 80's mentioned that Carli used to wear Daisy Dukes and a Guns and Roses half t-shirt. There's more innuendo between Carli and her ex-husband. Despite the fact that she says that she doesn't want her ex-husband, she keeps trying to smell like lemons and lets him lead her up to her bedroom. Carli was hurt when her ex-husband announced that he's marrying Renee. _

_I laughed so hard when Carli exclaims "Why? She can't possibly be pregnant." I'm thinking how great it would be if Barbra Jean got a taste of her own medicine. Somebody already thought about that and turned it into a great fan fiction story, "Breaking the Rules" by What About Love. I would encourage any fan fiction reader to check out that story. It's 30 chapters long now and is updated almost daily. Meanwhile on Working Class, the ex-husband kept trying to get Carli to accept Renee because she is trying so hard to fit into their family. Carli called Renee "Red". Then there were the nice moments at the end where Renee acknowledged that Carli is raising the kids on her own because the ex-husband is no help. _

_Renee also said that she didn't know if she could do the job of being a single mother of three as good as Carli has. Carli said that Renee's not so bad and maybe she could be friends with her ex-husband's girlfriend. At this point, I'm thinking Reba Hart is Supermom. Carli Mitchell is no match for her, but Carli is a smarter, sassier version of Barbra Jean. I definitely enjoy watching Melissa Peterman's new character. I loved it when Carli said that she felt that in another time and place they could've been friends. I knew that was a hint to fans about the Reba show. Carli told Renee that she's good with the kids and she can spend time with them. Outtakes rolled with the closing credits. They were so funny. This show deserves their "back nine" to make it a full season._

Now on with our next chapter-

Brock made it back to his room without anybody noticing that he was in Reba's bedroom. Reba tried to be as casual and calm with Barbra Jean as possible. She felt guilty for spending the time sleeping in Brock's arms again. She didn't want anything to interfere with reconciliation between Brock and Barbra Jean. They had a marriage to save. Reba spent her evening in her room again thinking about the whirlwind of feelings that she was dealing with. She struggled with her inner turmoil. She felt a shock to find out that there were still sparks still left between Brock and her.

It was strangely familiar and comforting to wake up next to Brock in the morning. Could they maintain a friendship without crossing the line again? Reba hoped so. She didn't want to be responsible for anything coming between Brock and Barbra Jean. This was the woman who was Brock's true love, or so he said. This was the woman who meant more to him than his 18-year marriage to Reba. She wanted to help the couple make their marriage work.

She was crushed to think about what happened in McAlester. How could she let her anger and pride get the best of her every time? Why does she push away from lasting and committed relationships? She did it to Brock and to Mike. She never let things get far enough to consider any of the men that she dated as committed relationships. She'd work on talking to Brock about his relationship with Barbra Jean when they went out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. Her memories from 25 years ago were full of confusing feelings for Mike and Brock.

She was very angry that Brock had the nerve to tell her father that she was running off to be with Mike. Why did he make it his business anyway? They didn't even like each other then. They could hardly carry on a conversation without an argument. She had to wonder why Brock tried to make a move on her when she was getting ready to marry Mike. Why would he want to hurt his best friend like that? Why was making her a conquest that important to him?

He only ended up leaving as soon as he got tired of her. She knew that might happen. Was he even capable of being in a life-long committed relationship? Barbra Jean must have been a conquest of sorts also. Now that he was tired of Barbra Jean, he was back to playing games with her with the comments and the flirting. He had to know that something was happening with Mike, too. Did that prompt him to try to cross the line again?

What did she have to do to get Brock to stay on track in his mission to become the guy that the family could depend on? Reba was tired of holding the family together on her own. What could she do to help Brock to become the man that he started out to be 24 years ago? At least when she was with Mike, it was easier to be around Brock without any old personal feelings getting in the way. She needed to move on so Brock would focus on what was truly important. If he thought that he had to help Reba, he might not give the necessary attention to fixing his problems with Barbra Jean. She needed someone else to lean on, maybe LovinCowboy84 could be a man that she could count on. He was turning out to be a good listener and a good friend. She thought about that for a few minutes before deciding to turn on her computer.

**LovinCowboy84: **Hi there. I'm glad to see that you're online tonight.

**RamblinRedRose: **Hi. I'm glad that you're online, too. I've been in my room trying to go over some problems but I've having trouble coming up with the answers. This kind of thing is just too personal to discuss with my family.

**LovinCowboy84: **So go ahead and talk to me. Maybe I can help you.

**RamblinRedRose: **For perfectly innocent reasons, I ended up sleeping in the same bed as my ex-husband twice. Just sleeping, nothing else happened. I feel bad because I don't want his new wife to find out and get mad at him. They are separated and their marriage is going through a rough patch right now. He's been staying here in one of our kids' bedroom while they are trying to work it out. I agreed to it because I know that if he signs a lease for his own place then the separation could become a more permanent one. That's what happened to our marriage. We stayed apart and didn't work towards each other.

**LovinCowboy84: **Why do you feel personally responsible for helping your ex-husband save his marriage to his new wife?

**RamblinRedRose: **Everyone has a soul mate in life. I knew at the beginning that a relationship with him wouldn't work out for us. I didn't listen to my head at all. The warning signs were there. I'm glad that the friendship is still there though. He and I didn't start out as friends. I really hated him. I was in love with someone who was wonderful and completely perfect for me who was his best friend. I could barely stand to be around him. He was a conceited, womanizing jock.

**LovinCowboy84:** I'm confused about how you ended up with your ex-husband if that's how you saw him.

**RamblinRedRose:** I told you before that my son died. I ended up with postpartum depression. I made bad decisions and the guilt from my choices was killing me. I couldn't live with myself. If I had to live without the love of my life and my child, I didn't want to live at all. One day, I decided to try to end my life. I thought that I would finally find some peace. I was in the apartment that I once shared with my boyfriend.

I took an overdose of pills. I didn't show up for my shift at work. Surprisingly enough, Brock got concerned. We worked together. My car was parked outside the apartment. I didn't answer the phone or the door. He grabbed my spare key and found me. I had been lying there for hours. I don't know how I made it through that alive. You are the only other person besides my ex-husband who knows about this. He told everyone that I was just sick and couldn't come in to work. No one else ever found out.

**LovinCowboy84:** Wow. Thank you for trusting me with this. I told you before that asking for help is not a weakness. Do you feel better now that you've actually let that out?

**RamblinRedRose: **Yeah, I do. I'll get back to explaining more. From the time I was in the hospital, my ex-husband tried really hard to reach out to me. He spent a lot of time trying to be my friend. I wasn't sure why he did that. Eventually the friendship got messed up because he tried to cross the line. I just fell right over the edge of that line. Things went into unfamiliar territory. I started to have feelings for him.

We got too close, too fast and I got pregnant. We rushed into marriage. My boyfriend tried to stop me. It was too late. I had actually come to love both of those guys very much. I had to choose between the wrong thing-staying with my boyfriend who'd hurt me before, becoming the other woman again, breaking up his marriage and the right thing-marrying the father of my child who I came to love. That love just snuck up on me.

I gambled my future and lost. What my ex-husband did was so much worse than what my boyfriend did to me. He cheated on me with a much younger woman who worked with him after sharing a life with me for 18 years. My boyfriend was in a marriage that was doomed from the beginning. His marriage didn't even last as long as mine did. He still ended up divorced and I still ended up divorced. My boyfriend really loves me because he was there when I went into a dark depression again even though I'd left him before because I know now that true love never dies. You can bury it and lock it up far away.

You can pray that the feelings go away. All it took was for him stir those feelings up was to reach out to help me. He told me to try to save my marriage and sent me back home. I gave it my best shot and lost again. He was there to pick up the pieces. He honestly wants me to be happy no matter what because he really cares about me. I keep running from making any sort of commitment with him, but he's always standing there patiently waiting for me every time I turn around and go back home. I don't know about that now. We've had the worst fight that we've ever had. I was spiteful and nasty to him. There's no excuse for hurting someone that you love like that.

**LovinCowboy84: **I know what that pain is like. Sometimes you do things without thinking about the consequences and live to regret it later. But why do you feel personally responsible for helping your ex-husband save his marriage to his new wife?

**RamblinRedRose:** My ex-husband told me that his new wife was the love of his life. We've managed to stay friends. I care enough about him to want him to be happy and not lose the love of his life. The new wife is a woman who loves her husband unconditionally. There is no one else in the world for her, but him. They are soul mates. I have to believe this in my heart because that is the only explanation for why he threw away a loving 18-year marriage to be with her.

The fighting and conflict is so hard on the children. We have three children, a son-in-law (who is like our own son), and two grandchildren together. He has one child with his new wife. They don't deserve to deal with issues that have nothing to do with them. Eventually people take sides and it gets worse. I can't let that happen.

**LovinCowboy84: **And you're taking it upon yourself to fix everyone else's problems. What does that do to you? I can see where it would be a toll on your health, especially with your high blood pressure. Isn't there an easier way to handle things?

**RamblinRedRose: **I don't know. I've spent the last few years holding this family together on my own. I'm not sure what else to do. Someone has to be the responsible parent who puts the kids' needs first ahead of everyone else. My ex-husband and his wife are not doing that. He wants to help me, but I'm afraid that he won't be able to focus on fixing his marriage if he continues to focus on helping me. I also did something not so innocent. It created more problems for me.

**LovinCowboy84: **What happened? Whatever it is I'm sure that it's not as bad as you think it is.

**RamblinRedRose: **My ex baited me into crossing the line again. I kissed him. It was so wrong. It's going to come back to haunt me. I just know it.

**LovinCowboy84: **How did he respond to that? Maybe he didn't take it the wrong way and you can just forget about it.

**RamblinRedRose: **He kissed me back. He told me that it was the best kiss of his life. I told him that I felt nothing, but I started shaking after I walked away. I can't even look him in the eye right now. I think that I've let his close proximity affect me. I can't do that. Everything would fall apart if I lost my head right now.

**LovinCowboy84: **Was he kidding around or serious when he made that comment?

**RamblinRedRose: **I'm not sure. He looked as stunned by the kiss as I felt inside.

**LovinCowboy84: **It sounds like you two just need to talk about it so you can both put it behind you. You should try being as honest with him as you've been with me. If he knows how much this is adding to your stress level, I'm sure that he'll want to work through it with you. You can't handle everything alone. It's not going to work for you anymore. You have high blood pressure. If you want to stay healthy for your family, then you are going to have to take some of the responsibility off your back and give it to others. Your ex should be responsible for his own marriage. That marriage should succeed or fail on its own. There's nothing you can do about it, except for continuing to be a supportive friend.

**RamblinRedRose: **Thanks. You've really helped me. I feel weird talking about all of this stuff to you though. You shouldn't have to deal with such a controlling drama queen like me. I'm sure that you have better things to do.

**LovinCowboy84: **You're being too hard on yourself. Believe it or not, I'm just as lonely as you are. It helps for us to talk to each other like this. You seem to need a friend. I like you and I want to keep talking to you like this. I look forward to my evenings because I get to talk to you. Besides you're helping me as much as I'm helping you. Is there anything else on your mind tonight?

**RamblinRedRose: **I'm still having nightmares. It's getting worse. I've tried therapy. I've tried medication. The nightmares go away for a short time and then come back. Right now, I have a massive headache. I get migraines frequently.

**LovinCowboy84: **You should try listening to some relaxing music, watching your favorite comedy, or taking a bubble bath before you go to bed. If your mind is peaceful and calm, then you might be able to get a good night's sleep. You need to relax and unwind after a tough day at work. You should take some time to yourself when you first get home from work so you can spend time with your family without stress and headaches.

**RamblinRedRose: **That sounds easier than it is. My kids need me from the time that I walk through the door up until the time that I go to bed.

**LovinCowboy84: **I'm back to advising you to ask for help. Tell your family that you need the extra time. It's only a few minutes. They should understand. Ask your ex for help in the evenings if the kids really need help. They're his kids too.

**RamblinRedRose: **I know that. I promise that I will try. Now what about you? What's going on with you? Do you have anything that you need to talk about?

**LovinCowboy84: **I'm going through a divorce and every day there is something new to face with that. It's hard on the kids. I worry about what it's doing to them. I understand what you've gone through.

**RamblinRedRose: **How many kids do you have?

**LovinCowboy84: **Five. They mean more to me than anything in the world. I'm just happy that my divorce will be final soon so I can move on with my life. We're trying to have an amicable divorce but that is easier said than done, depending on her mood for the day. She likes living well so she's trying to get everything that she can get out of me. I have visitation on the weekends, but I'm hoping to get joint custody.

**RamblinRedRose: **Wow. There aren't too many men who want to handle the challenges of joint custody. You have to peacefully get along with your ex and put your differences aside for the kids every day. It means being a full time parent just like your ex. You have to be ready to handle any situation anytime. It's not easy. I share my kids with my ex. He and his wife moved into a house near mine around the corner so we could share the kids together.

**LovinCowboy84: **Are you trying to scare me? I cannot imagine how hard it would be for you to deal with your ex and his new wife all the time as neighbors.

**RamblinRedRose: **I'm trying to let you see the whole picture. It's hard but you have to put all the issues aside with your ex to do what's best for your kids. It's been hard for me, but my kids really like the situation so it's worth it to me. The kids never have to worry about feuding and taking sides. I have to work with my ex and his wife to make decisions for the kids so we try to present a united front. My ex's wife is actually not such a bad person.

She even comes over for coffee in the morning. I just remember the good qualities that I liked about my ex to point out to the kids and I make things pleasant so they don't reflect much on the divorce. It also helps that I have had a love life on and off through everything. I have taken time for myself. It really helps when I go back to Oklahoma. I come back feeling like a totally re-energized person.

**LovinCowboy84: **Except this time. You were pretty down the last time that we talked.

**RamblinRedRose:** Yeah. The thing is that I was having a great time up until the fight with my boyfriend. I have a lot of fun with my sister. I run around town doing whatever I want and it is freeing. It's the perfect vacation for me. No kids and exes to deal with. I get to have a love life. My boyfriend always says that he can't wait to see what I'll do next.

He likes it when I'm spontaneous, funny, and a little wild. It's a side that I don't get to show much to others. I love to sing. My boyfriend plays the guitar. He plays with a band on the weekends. When I'm in town, I get to perform with the band. I've gotten to see what my life would've been like if I'd taken the other path.

I like my life now, but I'll get to make different choices soon. My youngest child will be eighteen in five years. That's when I'll get the chance to start living my life for me. I might even move to Oklahoma permanently. All of my family and friends are there. There isn't anything left for me in Texas, except my kids. They are growing up, moving away, and starting their own lives. It's time for me to think about how to live my own life too. I've spent the last 24 years living my life for my kids.

**LovinCowboy84: **Well you have lots of time to make that decision so give it some thought. Would you really be happy living that far away from your kids?

**RamblinRedRose: **I'm not sure. I'm going to start thinking about making small changes in my life. My son talked to me two weeks ago about living with his dad when things settle down. I'm considering it. I really miss my sister. My daughter is starting college in the fall and will be living at school. My oldest daughter is married with two kids. They are working on moving away too. I do not want to stay here alone.

**LovinCowboy84: **What about college? Didn't you say that you were starting college in the fall?

**RamblinRedRose: **I only have two and a half years of college left to get my degree. I don't think that my son will be fully moved in with his father for another year. It's important for him to have his dad around to help him as he goes through high school. I can transfer to a college in Oklahoma to finish, if that's what I decide. My ex got to go out and live his life on his own terms. It's my turn. I want to get married again and have a couple more kids. It would be great to do that in my hometown. I know that sounds strange because I said that I can't wait to live my own life, but I want the chance to start my life over again with a happy ending this time. It would be nice to actually raise kids in a loving, two-parent household. My youngest son doesn't even remember what it was like to live with his father and me in the same house. He was six when his father moved out.

**LovinCowboy84: **It sounds like you have a plan. It doesn't sound too bad. It's not selfish to decide to live life on your own terms after you've spent so many years giving to others. So what is it that you're wanting out of this new life?

**RamblinRedRose:** I want romance and passion. I want to laugh again all the time. I want to be cherished like I'm the most important thing in my husband's life besides our children. I want to be with someone that I can share my deepest thoughts and dreams with. I want a marriage that's an equal partnership. I want to get on stage and sing on the weekends. I want to dance with my husband every night before we go to bed.

I want to finally become a teacher. I want to be with someone who brings out the best in me and doesn't mind that I have kids from a previous marriage. I want to be with someone that I can grow old with.I want to see my sister settle down and get married. I'd like to live on the same street as my sister. It would be great for my sister and me to have kids who are the same age who can grow up together.

I want a tight knit extended family. I want my kids to have the same type of childhood experiences that I had growing up. I have so many happy memories. I want to marry someone who will be my best friend. I want to know what it's like to be really, truly happy. I believe that my nightmares will stop when I finally get to live a happy life that's right for me. I want to remember my baby boy without bursting into tears. I want to look back on my past with happiness instead of sadness. I want to look at my ex without any sadness or resentment. That will finally happen when we're both happy and we've both moved on into new lives.

**LovinCowboy84:** That's a tall order. You have some big expectations for how you want your life to be. That's great, but life isn't perfect. You're not going to find someone who will make you happy 24-7. That's not possible. Every couple has differences and issues. No one gets along all the time. I think that it's important to have a spouse who shares your interests and values.

I think that a happy marriage is made of two people who want to be together despite any challenge that life throws their way and work hard to keep the relationship good. Have you thought about sharing happy memories of your baby with someone that you care about? Sometimes remembering the good times makes getting through the hard times easier. If you can look back on that part of your life with happiness, then you will get to a good place where you can stop having the nightmares and remember your son with joy.

**RamblinRedRose:** I have an ex-boyfriend who's a therapist. He said some of the same things to me. He tried to help me with my issues. The relationship ended badly though. The only positive thing that I can say is that I actually got some free therapy out of the experience so it wasn't all bad for me. Look, my ex-boyfriend and my current boyfriend are the only two people who know that I play poker online at the Best Poker Online website. They are the only ones who know my screen name.

Thanks to them, I have a ton of trust issues so please don't find this offensive if I ask if your name is Jack or Mike. I believe that either of those two would use anonymity to get close to me again. They've managed to shatter my self-esteem more than once. You have to understand why I would be slightly suspicious. I don't need to know your name. I actually find a strange sense of comfort talking to you like this. I just need to know if your name is actually Mike or Jack.

**LovinCowboy84: **No. My name is not Mike or Jack, but I can understand why you feel the need to ask under the circumstances. I also find a strange sense of comfort talking to you like this. It's interesting not knowing each other's names. I bet your name is really pretty though.

**RamblinRedRose:** That was real smooth. I don't need you to sweet talk me. I really like the type of honest conversations that we've been having.

**LovinCowboy84: **I'm sorry. I honestly think that names match personalities. You have such a sweet personality. That's why I said that I thought that your name would be pretty. It wasn't a line. I like our conversations too.

**RamblinRedRose:** It's okay. I'm being unusually suspicious. I'm the one who should apologize to you. I had a bad experience online once. I was playing poker at the Best Poker Online website. A guy started flirting with me. We had a nice conversation. At the end of the conversation, he told me his name. I was horrified to find out that I'd been flirting with my ex-husband. I gave him a phony name and then I got off the computer. I didn't play poker online for a long time.

**LovinCowboy84: **Ouch! I would hate to be in that situation. Did he ever find out that it was you? Did his wife find out that he was flirting with other women online?

**RamblinRedRose:** He never found out that it was me. His wife was with me during part of the conversation, but that was before names were revealed. I never told her that her husband was the guy I spoke to online. They were separated for awhile before and he started spending time playing online poker because he was alone. He's a natural flirt with women unfortunately. He continued to play online poker just after they reconciled, but he stopped after that. He really seems to genuinely want his marriage to work. He's becoming someone who can be a good role model for our son and our grandson.

**LovinCowboy84: **That's really nice. I wish that my ex would acknowledge how hard I'm trying with my kids. She lashes out at me frequently. It starts the minute I walk into her house.

**RamblinRedRose:** That's funny, not ha-ha funny but ironic funny. I think that it's in the job description for ex-wives to do that. I've done that before to my ex-husband. I can't help it. He's an arrogant moron. He just walks through my door without knocking just like he still lives there. He comes over unannounced. He wants to see the kids without any prior notice. I have to drop whatever plans I have to accommodate him.

I've been known to use sarcasm when dealing with him. I'm not proud of the fact that I can't seem to rise above being petty like that when I'm provoked. In the beginning, he even had the nerve to bring his new wife over my house and kiss her right in front of me. It was like he never even bothered to remember that we used to be married and that acting like that in a house that we used to share might bother me. It's my fault. I knew that he was a player when we got together. His nickname in college was "The Love Machine". Girls were lined up to date him. He was a football player so it was easy for him to get any girl that he wanted.

**LovinCowboy84: **He did end up choosing you, didn't he? It's not your fault that your ex is inconsiderate of your feelings. He's the one that's wrong. I think that defending yourself is natural when you're provoked. My ex rips into me the minute she sees me. I don't even start an argument. For the record, I think that nickname is hilarious. Did he actually tell you that himself?

**RamblinRedRose:** No. I heard that from my boyfriend and a couple of my other friends. My boyfriend's ex-wife is actually a frenemy of mine. We were childhood best friends. We lost the friendship out of jealousy. She stole my boyfriend from me and married him. She dated my ex-husband. She's dated most of the guys that I've dated.

She even had a child with another ex of mine. We're finally friends again. My boyfriend made us sit down and talk. He wants us to get along for the sake of their kids. My other best friend dated my ex-husband, too. This was before we were married, of course. He was really good looking back then, but I lost interest the minute he opened his mouth.

**LovinCowboy84:** I would not want to have been in your shoes. I would've been so jealous if my ex dated my best friends before we got married. It would be hard to continue the friendship, knowing that they had a romantic history with my wife.

**RamblinRedRose: **It's not like that with my best friend, Lori Ann. She was attracted to my ex-husband for awhile in college, but for whatever reason the relationship didn't work out. I think that she might be the only girl to ever turn him down for sex. Their relationship never got physical. She told me that she just suddenly lost her attraction to him and that was that. She can't stand him so I've never had a reason to be jealous when we were married. I'm not jealous when my boyfriend is around his ex-wife either. She actually wants us to be together. It's been interesting. It's weird to go into Victoria's Secret and pick out lingerie with my boyfriend's ex-wife and have her give me tips to heat things up in the bedroom.

Reba waited for a reply. She wondered why he stopped typing.

**RamblinRedRose: **You must be laughing your head off at that one or you've pictured something dirty in your mind. You're a man. I know what men are like.

**LovinCowboy84: **Fair enough. For the record, I was definitely laughing. You have unusual friends.

**RamblinRedRose: **My hometown is a small town. When you live in a small town, everyone knows everybody and everybody knows each other's business, gossip and all. My hometown is a little less Mayberry and a little more Peyton Place USA.

**LovinCowboy84: **LOL! So your life is like a soap opera, huh?

**RamblinRedRose: **That would be funny if it weren't the truth. See if you can keep up with this story. My oldest daughter had to get married at age 17 because she was pregnant. She moved into my house with her new husband and I had to raise married teenagers. This is part of some strange family tradition handed down through four generations. It will take a score card to keep this straight. Don't say I didn't warn you!

**LovinCowboy84: **You've got my full attention and my curiosity, so go ahead!

**RamblinRedRose: **Here it goes. My grandmother got pregnant with my mother and had to get married at age 16 to my grandfather. My mother got pregnant with me at age 17 and had to marry my father. My grandmother and my mother got a rough start to their married lives. Their husbands felt like they got tied down too young and ended up cheating on their wives. I shouldn't have to know this much information about my parents and my grandparents, but I do. My grandmother Cheyenne always believed that she could prevent what she called "the curse" from happening to me. She wanted to break the pattern with me, but she couldn't prevent me from flying off the handle to make my own mistakes.

My father left my mother twice. It really hurt me. My boyfriend was the only man that I trusted. I heeded my grandmother's warning for as long as I could. My boyfriend and I went back and forth from friendship to relationship several times for over four years. During this time my parents were having problems. My father had left for the second time.

My mother started dating again. I felt like Mike was the only person in the world that I could count on. Our relationship would've been great, if my frenemy hadn't interfered every time we had a problem and were off again. There was also the problem of his friends. They discouraged Mike from dating me. These weren't good friends because they had all tried asking me out once I started college. I couldn't convince Mike that his friends weren't giving him advice to help him at all. During this time, my father had a girlfriend.

He left her and returned to my mother, but not before getting his girlfriend pregnant. That's how my sister was born. My mother was ready to file for divorce. He begged and pleaded for my mother's forgiveness and she took him back. She told him that she'd leave the second he strayed again. To my amazement, he actually has stayed faithful to my mother for the last 25 years since then. I was not so inclined to forgive him. I was as stubborn as I am now.

If you add being a rebellious teenager, it's a recipe for disaster. My boyfriend proposed and my father objected. My mother went along with my father. Their marriage was still fragile. My grandparents gave us their blessing and we eloped to Las Vegas to get married. We invited a few of our friends to come with us. Word spread to Kim, the frenemy. She found out that she was pregnant and didn't like being dumped. During the wedding ceremony, Kim showed up and stopped the wedding. She threatened to abort her pregnancy if he didn't marry her so he broke up with me.

I begged and pleaded with him to change his mind. I went out and got drunk with Lori Ann. The next morning, I woke up in bed in the honeymoon suite with him. I was freaking out. I went back to my hotel room. He came to apologize for the way things turned out. He was still going to marry Kim. I went back home. I had nowhere else to go because my family wouldn't talk to me so I stayed in our apartment.

I found out that I was pregnant a few weeks later. I went to my family for help. My father wanted to force Mike to marry me. My grandmother said that the marriage would always be an unhappy one if Mike were forced to marry me. I made arrangements to leave town and have the baby by myself. I gave him one last chance to stop me. He said that he couldn't marry me so I left.

I started a new life in a new town. That's where I met up with my father's girlfriend. She was pregnant and alone. I was in the same situation. We became friends. It was easy because she was only four years older than me. We helped each other through our pregnancies. She had no friends and no family. I was her labor coach and I was the first one to hold my sister when she was born.

I was working two jobs and helping to take care of my newborn sister. It was too much for my body to handle. My blood pressure went through the roof. It wasn't safe for the baby so the doctors decided that he had to come out. I called my best friend and she called Mike. He showed up while I was in labor. When the baby was born, he begged me to marry him. I thought that life was perfect, but I am never that lucky.

My son was premature and very tiny. I prayed and believed that he would make it. My son died two days later. I couldn't handle it. I shut Mike out. That's when I ended up with my ex-husband. Now here's where the score card comes in. Do you still want to hear about this or have you had enough drama for one day? You really don't have to listen to anymore of this. I understand if you want to talk about something else.

**LovinCowboy84: **Are you kidding me? I'm here to listen to you. I want to be here for you. You are always so stressed out. Believe me, it will do you some good to let out some of the things that you have been holding in for so long.

**RamblinRedRose: **Okay, most of this part isn't as sad as the part I told you about before. It's just a little weird. Mike was dating Kim when he wasn't with me. During my senior year, my mother started dating Mike's father. That was too weird for us so we worked to break them up. I got my parents back together and Mike got his parents back together. Mike took Kim to the senior prom. Mike's brother, Terry was my prom date. I sang with Mike on the stage that night. My parents were out of town on a second honeymoon.

Terry had a crush on me and asked Mike to give him a chance to date me. Mike backed off and went to a big party with Kim. I threw Terry out of my parents' house just after he brought me home. He ended up sleeping with Lori Ann. Mike ended up sleeping with Kim that night also. I ended up alone in an empty house, waiting for Mike, who never showed up. Mike and I just stayed friends after that for another month until he proposed. Mike dumped Kim two weeks after prom.

Kim started dating Mike's best friend, Brock, who is now my ex-husband. Most of the rest you already know about. After Vegas, Kim planned her wedding to Mike. Kim started seeing Terry behind Mike's back. Terry was seeing Lori Ann behind Kim's back. Mike was seeing me behind Kim's back. A marriage is definitely doomed if the bride and groom are sneaking around to see other people. I got fed up and left town. Kim and Mike got married.

Before you say anything, I am aware that my boyfriend is a moron, but fortunately for him I am a very forgiving person. Kim had a miscarriage. Mike left her to be with me. We lost the baby and I lost my sanity. I told Mike to work on his marriage to Kim. Two months later, we were seeing each other again. At this point, he's still with Kim. I started partying and dating other guys to make him jealous. I was still only 18 at this point.

I dated most of his friends and then I make a deal with Terry to pretend to date me. I was sure that Mike would come around. He didn't. I walked away from the relationship. The ironic thing is that he finally took notice when I started dating Brock. By then, it was too late. I was working on making a whole new set of mistakes. Mike told me that he loved me and he would wait for me forever.

His marriage ended after three children and 17 years together. He finally caught Kim in bed with Terry. About that time, my marriage was falling apart. I kept trying to fix it, but it was beyond saving. Mike was a great friend to me. Time helped simmer my anger towards Mike and I had something new to fume about. I caught Brock cheating on me with his assistant. Mike let me cry on his shoulder. He told me to go home and forgive my husband because my marriage was worth saving.

At this point, Kim is still seeing Terry. Lori Ann and I came back home after my divorce papers were filed. Terry started seeing Lori Ann again. I started seeing Mike. That was a disaster. It was just bad timing. You can't start a new relationship if you are still in love with someone else so I went back to Texas and decided to focus on being a mother. Having my three children is the best thing that I ever did with my life.

Terry ended up with cancer. Kim ended up pregnant with Terry's child. Lori Ann never found out about any of this. She really loved Terry. It would've hurt her to let her know about Kim and Terry. He died before the baby was born. Terry made Mike promise to help Kim raise the baby. Mike has been helping Kim raise the baby ever since. Mike is the only father that the kid has ever known.

I have a horrible temper and I'm stubborn so I'm not sure if I would've been able to act as graciously with Brock as Mike has with Kim. I told Mike that I would step aside and let him get back together with Kim if he wanted to. He didn't and we've been trying to make a long distance relationship work ever since. We've been off and on so many times that I've lost count. We're off again for now. I don't think that I've left anything else out. I've made tons of mistakes, but I've worked so hard during the last 24 years to be someone that my kids can be proud of. Most of the drama happened while I was between the ages of 17 and 19.

**LovinCowboy84: **So if I can sum this up correctly, you made a ton of mistakes when you were young and then spent the rest of your life trying to make up for it by living your life unselfishly for others. Does that about cover it?

**RamblinRedRose: **Yes, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I've spent all of my time living unselfishly. I have my selfish moments. Everyone does. How about you?

**LovinCowboy84: **I was wild and reckless when I was young, but I haven't had much drama. I didn't have much drama in my life until I met my soon-to-be ex-wife. My drama is a story for another night. I'm guessing that you would prefer to watch drama on TV than have to deal with it in real life.

**RamblinRedRose: **My favorite soap opera was Another World. I watched it until the show ended in 1999. Through the 1980's, I liked to watch Dynasty, Dallas, and Knots Landing. I haven't had time for watching shows like that in years. I've told you how busy my life is. I like to sit down and watch movies. That's how I relax. My favorite movie is While You Were Sleeping. I like romantic comedies. If I watch TV now, I mostly watch family sitcoms. It's great to see down and watch a show with my kids. I bet that you like watching action and adventure movies.

**LovinCowboy84:** You win. You have me pegged right. What can I say, I'm a guy. I can see that you were a typical girl back then and now your tastes have changed because you have to share the TV with your kids. Me too.

**RamblinRedRose: **Time and family do change the person that you evolve into as an adult. I still have moments when I want to watch one of my old shows on DVD. As for as action and adventure films go, I really like Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile. It's got romance, action, and adventure. I haven't seen those movies in so long.

**LovinCowboy84: **As far as action movies go, I really like Raiders of the Lost Ark and the sequels that followed.

**RamblinRedRose: **LOL! Really? You know there's romance in those movies, too.

**LovinCowboy84: **Yeah, but I like how he's an ordinary guy living a regular life who gets to lead a double life and go out on adventures.

**RamblinRedRose: **That would be exciting. I lead an ordinary life, too. I'm guessing that you consider yourself to be an ordinary guy with a regular life. What kind of work do you do?

**LovinCowboy84: **Wait a second. We agreed not to exchange names and specifics. It was one of our rules. We didn't want to exchange personal information like that. That's why we're able to talk like we have been. You could be my neighbor from down the street. I wouldn't want to tell her personal information like we've been doing. We don't get too close and we feel free to trust each other with our problems. At least, we can each be objective about what each of us is going through. So I'm not going to tell you about my job.

**RamblinRedRose: **Okay. But you feel that your job is ordinary?

**LovinCowboy84: **Yeah. How about you?

**RamblinRedRose: **Yeah, I was. When I was working, it felt very ordinary like anyone else could do it. It didn't feel special or rewarding to me. That's why I want to go back to college.

**LovinCowboy84: **I work in my own business so I don't have a boss. I understand how you feel because there are times that I've wanted to stop and do something else. I couldn't because my ex was mad that I wanted to try something new. Her attitude is if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

**RamblinRedRose: **You should feel free to follow your dreams. You're getting divorced so it's time to think about what you want out of life.

**LovinCowboy84: **Sure, except that I have to make sure that I can change careers and still be there for my kids when they need me. I can drop whatever I'm doing at a moment's notice now.

**RamblinRedRose: **It's definitely a balancing act. You should sit down with your kids and talk to them about what you want to do and get their input. I did that when I decided to go back to school and it was very helpful. My kids really want to support me while I try this. I'm nervous but they're willing to pitch in around the house so I won't have to get stressed out.

**LovinCowboy84: **Thanks for the advice. I'll have to try that. Do you know how long we've been talking? I've got to be up early with my kids.

**RamblinRedRose: **Me too. I know that it's getting late. I'm glad that we talked tonight.

**LovinCowboy84: **Did you know that Romancing the Stone is playing on The Movie Network on Friday night at 10:30 p.m.-Central Time? We could watch it and talk about it. Do you have that channel?

**RamblinRedRose: **Yes. It's part of our satellite package. I think that would be a great idea. Unless something else comes up with my kids, I'll be here. I think that it will be fun. I've never done anything like this before. Goodnight.

**LovinCowboy84: **I hope that you remember my advice from earlier. Try opening up to someone you trust about your son. Share some happy memories. Good night. See you later.

Reba turned her computer off, putting the laptop on her desk. She sat on the bed for a few minutes thinking about his advice. She wondered how to go about opening up to someone about her son. She hadn't spoken to anyone but Mike about the baby in years. She got off the bed and decided to see who was still up. It was 1:00 a.m. on a Saturday night. She wondered if any of the kids were home and awake at this hour. She opened her bedroom door and walked down the hallway. Jake was in his bed sound asleep. Kyra was at an out-of-town gig with her band. Brock's bedroom door was close and the light was off. That meant that he was already asleep.

She walked downstairs. No one was in the living room. Van's SUV was in the driveway and their apartment was quiet, except for Cheyenne's snoring. She shook her head. Reba wondered when Brock would get around to finishing the apartment for the kids. She heard a noise coming from the kitchen. The main kitchen light was not on, but the small light above the stove was. No one else should be up at this hour. She peered into the kitchen tentatively. She saw a tall figure standing by the stove. She couldn't see anything else. She reached into the nearby closet and grabbed Jake's bat.

Suddenly, she changed her mind and decided that she would go back up to her room fast. It would be foolish to investigate a strange noise in the house alone. That's what always happens in horror movies. Some silly girl like Barbra Jean was always doing the wrong thing and ended up face to face with the killer. She shook her head realizing that she's seen one too many horror movies. She quietly turned around to go upstairs. She crept towards the stairs. She decided that if she wanted to investigate an intruder in the house she'd better get Brock to help her. Suddenly without warning, Reba felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Who is in Reba's kitchen? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is happening with Brock and Barbra Jean? What will happen next Friday when Reba has her online date? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. The review button can be found just below this story.**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**If you don't get CMT where you live, you can watch Working Class online for free. The CMT website's home page for Working Class offers free episodes of the show for fans. Come and support Melissa Peterman's new show. It means that we get to see a little more of Melissa and Reba working together on TV. With support, the show should get the full season of episodes. **

**CMT dot com / show/ working_class / series- the link and address won't show up so you'll have to type it in-no spaces- This was the only way that I could get it to show up here.**

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	20. Chasing Reba

_Dear Readers-_

_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays and I will do my best to make that happen each week, if I can. I'm sorry that this week's update is on Monday. I know that many of you are hoping for sooner updates. I want to let you know that I work all week long to submit a chapter that has been through a thorough writing process. I write, edit, and revise every day. I want to give you a nice sized chapter since you wait seven days to read it. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story. The characters of Max Thornton, Paige McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- Reba turned her computer off, putting the laptop on her desk. She sat on the bed for a few minutes thinking about his advice. She wondered how to go about opening up to someone about her son. She hadn't spoken to anyone but Mike about the baby in years. She got off the bed and decided to see who was still up. It was 1:00 a.m. on a Saturday night. She wondered if any of the kids were home and awake at this hour. She opened her bedroom door and walked down the hallway. Jake was in his bed sound asleep. Kyra was at an out-of-town gig with her band. Brock's bedroom door was close and the light was off. That meant that he was already asleep.

She walked downstairs. No one was in the living room. Van's SUV was in the driveway and their apartment was quiet, except for Cheyenne's snoring. She shook her head. Reba wondered when Brock would get around to finishing the apartment for the kids. She heard a noise coming from the kitchen. The main kitchen light was not on, but the small light above the stove was. No one else should be up at this hour. She peered into the kitchen tentatively. She saw a tall figure standing by the stove. She couldn't see anything else. She reached into the nearby closet and grabbed Jake's bat.

Suddenly, she changed her mind and decided that she would go back up to her room fast. It would be foolish to investigate a strange noise in the house alone. That's what always happens in horror movies. Some silly girl like Barbra Jean was always doing the wrong thing and ended up face to face with the killer. She shook her head realizing that she's seen one too many horror movies. She quietly turned around to go upstairs. She crept towards the stairs. She decided that if she wanted to investigate an intruder in the house she'd better get Brock to help her. Suddenly without warning, Reba felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Who is in Reba's kitchen? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is happening with Brock and Barbra Jean? What will happen next Friday when Reba has her online date? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 19 in the present year of the story-2008 with an online conversation to discuss some important background details about Reba's life before and after her marriage to Brock. Reba tried to figure out how to help Brock gets his marriage to Barbra Jean back on track. She analyzes her relationship with Brock. She gets advice from her online friend. She gets to know her online friend better. She explains how she ended up with Brock in the first place. She explains the tangled web of drama that she left behind in Oklahoma. Reba talks about what she wants out of life. She thinks about moving to Oklahoma. She heads downstairs and tries to investigate a noise in the kitchen. There is a tall figure in the kitchen that Reba doesn't recognize. What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Some readers were left wondering who was in the kitchen and were left to worry if Reba would be kidnapped. Never fear! Reba isn't going to be kidnapped in this story as of right now. I am considering the idea closer to the end of the story. I like to keep readers in suspense so I try to leave each chapter with a cliffhanger. This keeps you wanting to read more! I want to say that I do not plan to have anyone hurt Reba physically in any way in this story. She will worry, get stressed out, and be afraid at times, but no one is going to hurt her in this story. Her health will be a concern for her in this story. This is a love story. The word, love, is in the title. I hope that you are enjoying this story. Hang on for the twists and turns that I have planned in this story. _

Now on with our next chapter-

Suddenly without warning, Reba felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed. She raised the bat and turned around. Brock removed his hand from her shoulder, backed away from her, and put his hands up in surrender. "It's just me, Reba."

"What in the heck do you think you're doin'? You scared me half to death!" she responded.

"I couldn't sleep so I came down here to make some hot chocolate. Whatcha think was goin' on, Reba? I'm just standing in our kitchen."

"I checked the house, Brock. Your door was shut and the light was off. I thought that you were asleep. I checked on the kids. I thought that everyone was in bed sleeping."

"Henry couldn't get to sleep so I put him in my bed. That's why the light is off and the door is closed. He's not used to sleeping here yet. What's wrong? Why are you up at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep either. I guess I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"I thought you were gonna smash my head in with that bat."

Reba laughed. "Maybe that would knock some sense into ya."

Brock shook his head jokingly. "I don't know about you."

Reba didn't like his careless attitude. She started fuming again. "You shouldn't scare someone with high blood pressure, Brock. When are you gonna get it through your head that times have changed? If my blood pressure is too high, one good scare can kill me!"

Brock held up his hands again in mock surrender. "What is wrong with you tonight?"

"I don't know. I've just got a lot on my mind. I have such a bad headache."

Brock pulled out a chair for her. "Have a seat. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

"Wow. Do ya really know how to use the stove?"

"Ha ha, Reba. It's so easy to talk to you with your biting wit."

Brock poured the boiling water into the cup and stirred in the cocoa mix. He added some marshmallows and put the cup in front of Reba. "Be careful. It's hot."

Reba nodded. She began rubbing her temples. Brock moved to stand behind Reba's chair. He replaced Reba's fingers on her temples with his own. He began gently rubbing her temples. She moaned softly. His fingers moved from her temples down to her neck. He applied slight more pressure as his fingers trailed down. He massaged her neck and then her shoulders. His motions were slow. He bent his head down close to her ear. "Better?"

Reba's eyes were closed as she relaxed and felt the stress leave her body. Brock moved his fingers from the shoulders up to the neck, back to the temples, and back down to the neck and shoulders. He kept his head bent close to her ear. "So when do you want to go on our date?"

"Don't ruin this. This is exactly what I need. We are not going out on a date, Brock."

"Do you want me to keep rubbing?" Reba nodded. Brock started to speak softly in her ear. "Here's how this is going to work. We are gonna have a nice conversation. No raised voices, no arguments, and no sarcasm. Henry is upstairs sleeping. He's not used to sleeping here. He's been awoken by yelling and screaming for long enough. He's been through h- and back because of Barbra Jean and me. I also don't want to wake our other children. Now when do you want to go out on our date?"

"I'm not gonna argue. Call it whatever you want. Just help me make the headache go away," she whispered.

"Good. How about we go out on Friday night?"

"Okay, but I need to be home by 10:30."

"A self-imposed curfew?"

"No. Romancing the Stone is playing on The Movie Network on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. I haven't seen that movie in a long time. I promised a friend that I would take more time out to relax. It was suggested that I try watching that movie. I think it's a good idea." Reba turned her head towards Brock. Her face was inches from his. He was too stunned to react. "1983 was a very good year."

"Yes, it was. I believe that we were just talking about that the other day. Am I invited to watch it with you?"

"If you want to. Do whatever you want." Reba responded. Brock's lips were just inches from Reba's lips. He waited to see what she would do. Reba inhaled sharply.

"I will. How about you?" His fingers stopped moving, but lingered on her skin.

"What are you doing? I asked you not to stop."

"I asked you a question too. You answered my question with a question."

"Are ya gonna to keep goin'?" She waited for an answer. Brock kept his face inches from hers. He was daring her to cross the line again. She found it hard to take in breaths. He didn't move. "This isn't helping my stress level or my blood pressure. I remember a time when I didn't have to worry about my stress level and my blood pressure. Do you remember who I was in 1983?" He didn't answer.

"Well, allow me to remind you." Reba spun herself around out of the chair past Brock and ran out the back door out of the kitchen. Brock wondered what she was going to do. She removed her terry cloth robe and left it on a lounge chair. Without a word, she jumped into their brand-new swimming pool in her pajamas. Brock laughed.

"Well, this is unusual. How's the water?"

"It's great. I feel silly with you staring at me like this. Please help me get out of the pool."

Brock stepped over to the edge of the pool and held out his hand for Reba to take. Reba took his hand and used all of her strength to pull him into the pool with her. Reba laughed. "You're all wet now, just like me."

"You think that you're pretty clever, don't ya?" He came up behind her and pushed her head down in the water to dunk her. She retaliated. This dunking continued between the two until Reba realized how close Brock was to her in the water. He was right in front of her. His face was inches from hers again. Her breath caught in her throat. Brock swam behind her and locked his arms around her waist, holding her tight. "You can't do anything now, can ya?" She was stuck in his tight grasp. She struggled to get free. Brock laughed, but wouldn't release her from his hold.

"Let me go, Brock. This isn't funny."

"That's where you're wrong, honey. It's very funny. You tricked me and pulled me into the pool and now you're gettin' a taste of your own medicine."

Reba thought for a moment and stopped resisting. She didn't want to yell at him and wake the kids up. Brock's front was pressed against Reba's back. She could feel his torso against her. She decided to press herself against him more. She maneuvered herself so that Brock would feel her sudden change in position. Brock thought that he had her right where he wanted her, but Reba turned the tables on him with the abrupt change in body position. He stopped laughing. He was shocked at how Reba was pressing her backside against his groin. "What-What are you doing?"

"What does it seem like I'm doing?" She placed her hands at her sides and then rubbed her palms against his legs in a slow upward motion. "Why don't you turn me around and find out?" Brock loosened his hold on her and rapidly turned her body around bringing them face to face. His hands were on her waist and his arms were by their sides. He wasn't using his arms to keep holding her. Their faces were just inches away from one another.

Reba controlled her motions. She slowed her breathing down. Her arms and hands were free. She trailed her fingertips up and down his arms. Brock's eyes were locked on hers. His hands moved from her sides to cup her face. She took that opportunity to splash some water into his eyes and swam away towards the ladder. "Ha! Gotcha! I play to win. Good night." She laughed and climbed up the ladder rapidly with Brock swimming after her. She grabbed her robe and ran into the house. Brock darted after her. When Reba got into the living room, she looked behind to see where Brock was. Brock had caught up to her. He took the moment that she was stopped and off guard to lunge forward, pinning her to the sofa.

"Well now, it looks like the tables have turned again. If you want to tease me, you should be prepared for me to do the same to you. I can play this game, too." Reba tried to appear to remain in control of her reaction. She was not struggling as she did before. She was still and calm, waiting to see what he's do next. The pajamas were wet and clinging to her body, not providing much protection. She was cold and she shivered. It was a reaction to being in the wet clothes and being pinned down on the sofa by Brock. He let his fingers trail down from her neck and chest to her abdomen. He cupped her face again. He bent his head down to kiss her. Reba was stunned when their lips met. She felt an explosion of feelings deep inside her body. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Wait! Not here like this where the kids could see us. Let's go upstairs," Reba said suggestively. Brock lifted his body off of hers. He gave her his hand to lift her off the couch. As she stood, she pushed Brock out of the way and sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom. Brock chased her up the stairs. Reba made it to her room, shutting the door and holding the knob so he couldn't enter.

"Reba honey, what's goin' on? Why are you runnin' from me? I thought that we were having a moment down there." Brock stood at the door, talking to Reba.

Reba whispered. "Ssh, Henry is right next door. Go to bed, Brock. You do not want your son telling his mother that Daddy didn't sleep in his bed tonight. Do you really want your wife to know? If you want to touch a woman so badly, then you should go home to your wife. Barbra Jean tells me everything. I know that you two have been having sex during this separation on those divorce dates. You are not going without intimacy. Your wife is still meeting your needs so don't be makin' moves on me."

"Reba, I swear that isn't happening anymore. Barbra Jean and I aren't going on dates and we aren't having sex. We haven't had sex since I moved in here. Those dates were when I was staying at the motel. I'm honestly tryin' to tell you that things aren't gettin' better. There's no touchin' and we barely talk."

"That's because you're not trying hard enough. When you love someone, you have to do everythin' in your power to let them know how much you love them. That's what it takes to make a relationship good, two committed people who communicate and demonstrate their feelings."

"You are absolutely right. I'm sorry that I scared you earlier and I'm sorry if I took things too far when we were playing around. I promise that I'm gonna work on communication and sharing my feelings. I'm gonna work harder to improve the relationship. I don't want to lose the love of my life and I don't want to lose the best friend that I ever had."

"I'm glad that you finally realize what you have to do. You should change out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold. I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Brock."

"Thanks for talking to me. Good night, Reba."

Reba heard Brock's footsteps and the sound of his bedroom door opening and closing. She took her hand off the doorknob and started getting ready for bed by changing out of her wet clothes. She got into bed wearing a fresh cotton nightgown. She turned off the lights and tried to go to sleep. A little while later, she started to have a nightmare. She was screaming and crying. Brock dashed into the room. He put his arms around Reba to soothe her back to sleep. She woke up groggy and frightened, not sure if she was awake or asleep. Brock kissed her forehead and gently rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay, honey. You're safe now."

"If I want this to stop, I've got to talk about the baby. Would that be okay with you? I know that ya might be uncomfortable talkin' about this. I know that it must be just as uncomfortable talkin' about this with me as much as it was for me when Barbra Jean used to talk to me about Henry during her pregnancy and when he was a baby. I wouldn't ask, but I've had a therapist and another friend advise me to try to talk about my baby so I can let go of some of the bad feelings that I hold inside myself. I'm hoping that it will help the nightmares go away."

"Reba, it's okay. I'm here for ya. Please talk to me. I'll listen to anythin' that you need to talk about."

"And you're sure that this isn't gonna bother you? I need to know if any of this makes ya feel uncomfortable."

"Honestly, Reba. I've wondered why it took you so long to bring this up. You always try to appear so strong to everyone, but you're human just like everyone else. You have wants and needs just like the rest of us."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that, Brock. You seem to have a lot more wants and needs than I do. I've noticed that a lot more lately," Reba said, smirking.

"What you've been doing is unfair. You're like most women, using sexual attraction to get what you want."

"Like you don't? Men do it, too. Besides, my best friends are Lori Ann and Kim. Don't you think that I learn a thing or two about how to deal with men? This is why it's hard for men and women to be friends. Sooner or later, sexual attraction gets in the way. Men have their biological urges and women start thinking emotional intimacy can cross over into physical intimacy. This is why friends should be just friends. Dating involves chemistry and attraction. Those things have no business bein' in a friendship."

"Well, honey I haven't been givin' in to biological urges and needs lately, but there's plenty of chemistry goin' on," Brock remarked with a smirk.

"Ha, ha. You think that you're so crafty. I'm trustin' ya not to cross over the line anymore. I mean it. This relationship stays at friendship. We've always had the emotional intimacy thing work for us, no matter what. I think we should stick with what works for us and not let anything get in the way of that."

"Do you realize that we've gotten off the topic of conversation? I don't think that I'm the one who's uncomfortable with talkin' about the baby. It's you. Come on. Let's start talkin', really talkin'. No more jokes or clever comments."

"Okay. I don't think that I ever got over losin' the baby. When my baby died, I just fell to pieces. It's hard to pull out the joy that I once felt out of the pain that has stayed with me for the last 24 years."

"For the record, you were incredibly brave about the whole thing. You set out on your own to have a child when you were almost as young as Cheyenne was when she had Elizabeth. Cheyenne had us and you had no one."

"My parents were ashamed of me. I wasn't gettin' any support unless I got married."

"I never figured out why the idea of marriage was such a terrible option to you. Look at Van and Cheyenne. They're doin' great."

"There was a lot of love there. Elizabeth was conceived under happy circumstances with love. I conceived a child on one of the worst days of my life under the influence of too much alcohol on a night that I can't even remember. Marriage only works when two people love each other enough to make it work. I didn't want anyone to be forced to marry me."

"Did you ever think that it's not such a terrible idea to marry someone that you can trust? Feelings can grow. Love matures. Friendship isn't a bad foundation. That's how you and I started out."

"Don't get me started on why that was a bad idea. I agree that friendship is a good foundation, but there has to be more. When we got married, we had the emotional intimacy and the physical intimacy, but we didn't know each other well enough. We were still young. Three months is not enough time for a relationship to grow into a lifetime commitment. Van and Cheyenne were together for two years before they got married. They were friends since the eighth grade. They've learned how to grow together. We didn't. There's got to be love there from the beginning to keep people committed to staying together. Do you remember what things were like between us in 1983?"

"I've known you since 1980. You were unnecessarily hostile towards me until 1983. Things changed pretty quickly after that."

"You were hostile towards me. I just reciprocated the feeling. You made all kinds of negative comments about why I was undateable. You were mean. I was defending myself because you were a giant butt! Things haven't changed much since then. I always have to defend myself to you and you are always acting like a giant butt!"

"Okay, fair enough. I admit that I made those comments, but that was because Mike was not the right guy for you."

"No, I remember. You said that I wasn't the right girl for him. I wasn't good enough to date such a popular, good looking jock like him. I was this little shy little high school girl who spent more time reading than out having fun. My clothes were wrong. I didn't wear makeup and I wore glasses. I was well aware of what guys thought of me. Mike was different. He got to know the real person underneath."

"You're the one who's hung up on looks. You judged me as a popular jock who was like all the rest of the guys that you knew. You never even tried to get to know the real person underneath. I tried to get to know you. I was never cruel to you. You made a habit of saying cruel things right to my face. Did you ever think that there had to be somethin' good about me? Mike and I were best friends. Mike trusted me and you trusted Mike and his judgment. Wasn't that good enough for you to have a better opinion of me? You always had a good opinion of Mike no matter what he did. He screwed up plenty of times. You chose to overlook any of that. I was there for you when Mike hurt you and you still wouldn't let me in. You held your guard up until I came to see you in Ada. That wasn't fair to either of us. It was nothing but wasted time. You waited until you had no one else before you allowed yourself to let me in. You needed help long before that. I could've been there for you, but you waited until it was a life or death situation to let your guard down."

Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "Don't you think that I know that? I think about it every day. I chose to go off on my own. I put my body through hell when I should've taken better care of myself and my child died! I know that. I live with it every day of my life. I know that it's my fault. There's no one else to blame."

Brock started to gently rub her back to soothe her. "Honey, there's no way that we could know that for sure. Some women take excellent care of themselves and still get pre-eclampsia. You take very good care of yourself now and you still have high blood pressure. Besides we've always made clever comments to each other. That's how we are. It's not being mean or cruel. We don't take it personally. I'm not sure why you did before. Do you regret marrying me?"

"No. We had sixteen good years. Things could've been better if we'd been friends for a longer period of time before we got married. We never learned how to handle hard times together before marriage and that was why we didn't work as a couple. Besides you've always wanted a woman who would treat you like a king and let you do anything that you want. I'm not sure what you have to complain about these days. You have a beautiful wife who works hard to look nice for ya. She loves you more than anythin' else in the world. You get to do exactly what you want. She does everythin' around the house. You don't have to lift a finger. You are her hero. The two of you still have sexual attraction between you. You have everythin' that you've always wanted in a marriage. I'm not sure why you are lettin' it slip away."

"I'm not. I'm trying to work on the marriage. It would be nice if you would admit that I'm not such a bad guy after all."

"Okay, you're not such a bad guy after all. You are a good friend and a wonderful father, but you were a lousy husband. You really need to work on that if you want to keep your wife happy and your marriage on track."

"I really don't want to talk about the marriage right now. I want to focus on you. It would be nice if you could admit that you were wrong about me and that you should've let me be your friend."

"Fine. I was wrong about you back then. Happy?"

"Yes. Would it have been so terrible for us to have gotten married when you found out that you were having John?"

"I'm not sure. We were practically strangers, barely acquaintances until the trip to Las Vegas. The friendship didn't exactly grow much after that until after I returned from Ada. I was terrified at the thought of marryin' someone that I barely knew. I wanted to marry for love. I didn't want to come between you and Mike either. I'm sorry that happened anyway. I promise to be less judgmental if you promise to be more considerate and responsible."

"I can do that. It's a deal. I will show you that I can be a better person."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Wait, that may have come off as harsh. I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt this time. I hope that you can. I really hope that you can for your sake. Your marriage is dependin' on it."

"I know that. I understand that I have to prove myself in order to win back the love of my life."

Reba cringed as he said "the love of my life". Why did Barbra Jean get to be the love of his life? She thought it over. She wouldn't say that Brock was the love of her life so why should she care if she's not the love of his life. "I want what I cannot have. It's the same thing that I accuse Brock of. This is not what friends should even think about," Reba thought silently. Brock noticed that Reba was deep in thought. She frowned. He figured that he would have to work harder to put a smile back on her face so she could fall asleep and be at peace. He thought of something that she laughed at a few months ago.

"You look like you're thinkin' of somethin' really unpleasant. I know how to turn that frown upside down."

"Whatever you're thinkin' of better not be somethin' that will turn my stomach. I mean it. Do not try anythin' else with me tonight. I don't always like your idea of a joke. You thought that it was so funny when I accidentally caught you takin' a shower in my bathroom."

"Come on, it was a little funny. It was definitely funny when you made that remark about it afterwards. I commented on how good I've aged and you said that's what happens when you soak somethin' in alcohol." Reba started to smile. "And I wasn't even offended that you said that seeing me almost brought back your lunch. You called me a manatee. I can take a joke from you. How about the time that I rode up to the house on my new Harley?" Reba giggled.

"I remember. You said "guess what I just rode up on" and I said "a gay pride float". You looked so ridiculous, even Barbra Jean was embarrassed. You looked like you were in the middle of another midlife crisis. Van called you a weirdo. Later, I went over to your house and said "what's up James Dean". You were wearing that ridiculous shock belt on your belly. You asked if I remembered your six pack abs and I said that I remembered your man girdle. Van called it "the I-give up 2000."

"We can joke and kid around like that as long as we don't go too far. As long as we don't get into really personal issues, then the jokes are okay. By the way, I really appreciated that you came over to talk to me that day. You were worried about me. You said that I was a good looking man. I didn't know that you thought about me like that anymore."

"Then you commented that you were always the best looking one in all of your relationships. Speaking as one of your relationships, I take offense to that. Kim and Lori Ann would, too. I would say that neither one of us were better looking than the other. We're about evenly matched in that department. But I have dated some really hot guys before. They were better looking than me so they're better looking than you by association."

"Hey! See if we weren't joking around right now, I'd really take offense to that. At least you're not calling me a manatee again."

"But that's a prime example of how inconsiderate you are. After you said that, I reminded you that we were once in a relationship and you said "what's your point". I was really mad. That's why I cranked up the power on your belly burner. It was funny watching you twitch. Your beer came foaming out of your mouth and then you got that silly perm. You do know that you're not still living in the 80's, don't ya?"

"Ha, ha! Very funny! See I told ya that we can joke around a little without hurting each other's feelings. I'm sorry for making the inconsiderate comment about being the best looking one in our relationship. I understand why you call me inconsiderate and irresponsible. I will work on that. I guess I've made a lot of thoughtless comments and done a lot of stupid things that hurt you. I am unbelievably sorry, honey."

"I accept your apology. I'm sorry that I've made some cruel comments to you, too. Wow! I really think that we'll be able to make this friendship work. I think that we're really turning a corner here. I'm glad that I'm finally able to see you grow up. I think that we should be able to help each other work on issues that will help us become better people. This friendship is really turnin' into such a good thing.

"I think so, too. I'm glad that we're able to get to this point where we can be nice to each other. Do you feel better?"

Reba nodded, and then she hugged Brock. He put his arms around her and held her, waiting until she was ready to let go. It was an important conversation that they wouldn't have had if he weren't staying there. He was there at a moment when she needed him most and she opened up to him. He felt that he finally made the right decision about his life. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

Reba pulled away and looked at Brock. "Could you stay here until I fall asleep?"

"Sure. Do you want me to keep holdin' you?"

"Yeah. Believe it or not, I think that it helps me sleep better. Then you can go back to your room. I don't want Henry to wake up and find ya gone. Thanks for everything. I'm sorry that I pulled you into the pool earlier," Reba said, drowsily. It was hard for her to keep her eyes open. She felt the pull of sleep.

"Don't be. I'm not. I like having fun with you. Hey, Reba? Do you still love me?"

"Yeah, but I shouldn't. You're married. I was the other woman before. It was bad. That's why I took the overdose. I don't want to be that person anymore. I've been sad for as long as I can remember," Reba said softly. Her eyes were closed. Her voice was soft, but detached.

"I don't want ya to be sad anymore, honey. I love you."

"No, you can't. My life was finally goin' good. I got a second chance and I blew it. I don't have either of the guys that I love and I've lost my babies. Maybe I have to give up on the fairytale. No one is gonna come and save me. Time is flying by and I won't get the chance to have what I want most in this world."

"What do you want, Sweetheart? Tell me."

Reba turned her body to the side with Brock's arms still holding her. Her eyes were still closed. Her breathing was slower. She continued to speak in the soft, detached way. "I want to have fun more often. I want someone to romance me. I want to get married and have more babies. I miss Paige. I miss Oklahoma. I feel bad because you don't want any of those things. I can't count on you to be the guy who can make these things happen. I can't count on Mike either. He promised that it would be different this time. I think that my heart is gonna be broken forever. There isn't any other guy out there who can connect with me that way. I've tried. I want fireworks and that ain't happenin'. I want to be the girl I was before my life fell apart. I want to see you look at me like you used to, like I was the prettiest girl in Oklahoma."

"I can do that. I'll make our date the most romantic one that you've ever had. You are the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen."

"I'm not prettier than Barbra Jean and Kim. I wanna be sexy."

"Honey, you are prettier and sexier than any woman in Texas and Oklahoma. To me, you'll always be that amazing girl who asked me to dance with her and flirt with her. You're the one with a voice like an angel."

"You don't mean that. You left me for Barbra Jean. You stopped wanting me. You didn't want our baby. I had to live through losing her. You got a vasectomy because you didn't want to have any more babies with me. You don't want to be my husband because I'm controlling and mean. You don't want the same life that I want. I'm not a good wife."

"Yes, you are. I'm the one who was wrong, not you. You didn't do anythin' wrong. I was stupid to leave you. Now, what about our baby? Are you talkin' about John?"

"No. I lost our baby in Oklahoma. I think that she was a girl. I wanted to name her Maggie."

Brock slipped one of his hands around to Reba's belly while he heard her talk. "Is that why you wouldn't work things out with me?" Reba nodded. Brock held onto Reba tighter. "I love you, honey. I really do. Will you marry me and be the mother of my children?"

Reba giggled briefly. "I already did that. You'll leave again. I don't wanna be sad anymore."

"I won't leave you again. I'll prove it to you. Do you still wanna have a baby with me?"

"Maybe. I love you. I want us to stay like this forever."

"Me too. Why did you run from me earlier?"

"I want ya, but it's wrong. I can't let you cheat on your wife. Barbra Jean is one of my best friends. I don't wanna be your alternate choice. Barbra Jean is the love of your life. It was so hard to stop myself earlier. I like kissin' you. I want you so much when you touch me."

"That's good to know. Honey, you aren't the alternate choice. Do you think that Barbra Jean is the love of my life?"

"Yes. I want you as much as I did the first time. I won't be a homewrecker, Brock. We can't do anything about that." Reba's voice was softer and slower.

"Honey, are you talkin' in your sleep again?"

"Mmm."

"Can I kiss you now? Can I kiss you tomorrow?"

"Now, but not tomorrow. I'll hit ya if you try tomorrow. I can't let ya cheat on Barbra Jean."

"I really want to kiss you, honey. All the time."

"This is a nice dream. I miss you."

"Do we kiss in your other dreams?

Reba nodded. Brock moved in to kiss her. She felt his touch on her lips. She smiled and kissed him back. He moved his lips to her neck and his hands began to explore her body over the material of her pajamas. She moaned slightly. She moved to kiss Brock's neck, too. She let her tongue glide over his skin. His hands kept caressing her. She moaned again. She began to kiss him fiercely. She kissed down his neck again to his shoulders. Her lips moved with intensity over one spot on his shoulder. She sucked and nipped at the spot. Brock was pleasantly surprised. Reba never kissed him like that before.

Reba stopped kissing him. She was smiling. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Stay with me tonight." Reba stopped talking. She was breathing even deeper now.

"Honey, are you still sleepin'?"

Reba snuggled her head against his shoulder. "Mmm."

"There you go. I'll stay here all night long. Don't worry. I'm not leaving you. Sweet dreams, Sweetheart." Brock ran his fingers gently along the side of her face and kissed her forehead. He began to drift off into a peaceful sleep himself.

However, he was not prepared for what he encountered the next morning….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? What does Brock encountered that morning? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will Henry get used to sleeping at Reba's house? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. The review button can be found just below this story.**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**If you don't get CMT where you live, you can watch Working Class online for free. The CMT website's home page for Working Class offers free episodes of the show for fans. Come and support Melissa Peterman's new show. It means that we get to see a little more of Melissa and Reba working together on TV. With support, the show should get the full season of episodes. ****.com/show/working_**

**I own the Sugar Mama episode. I downloaded it from iTunes onto my iPod for $1.99. It was totally worth the money.**

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	21. The next morning

_Dear Readers-_

_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays and I will do my best to make that happen each week, if I can. I know that many of you are hoping for sooner updates. I want to let you know that I work all week long to submit a chapter that has been through a thorough writing process. I write, edit, and revise every day. I want to give you a nice sized chapter since you wait seven days to read it. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story. The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith, Paige McKinney, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- "This is a nice dream. I miss you."

"Do we kiss in your other dreams?

Reba nodded. Brock moved in to kiss her. She felt his touch on her lips. She smiled and kissed him back. He moved his lips to her neck and his hands began to explore her body over the material of her pajamas. She moaned slightly. She moved to kiss Brock's neck, too. She let her tongue glide over his skin. His hands kept caressing her. She moaned again. She began to kiss him fiercely. She kissed down his neck again to his shoulders. Her lips moved with intensity over one spot on his shoulder. She sucked and nipped at the spot. Brock was pleasantly surprised. Reba never kissed him like that before.

Reba stopped kissing him. She was smiling. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Stay with me tonight." Reba stopped talking. She was breathing even deeper now.

"Honey, are you still sleepin'?"

Reba snuggled her head against his shoulder. "Mmm."

"There you go. I'll stay here all night long. Don't worry. I'm not leaving you. Sweet dreams, Sweetheart." Brock ran his fingers gently along the side of her face and kissed her forehead. He began to drift off into a peaceful sleep himself.

However, he was not prepared for what he encountered the next morning….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? What does Brock encountered that morning? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will Henry get used to sleeping at Reba's house? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who will she end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 20 in the present year of the story-2008 with some Brock and Reba moments. The tall figure in the kitchen was Brock. He tried to get Reba to relax by making her some hot chocolate. She had a migraine. He rubbed her temples, neck, and shoulders to help relieve some of her pain. Reba became uncomfortable so she broke the tension by jumping in the pool. She tricked Brock into the pool. There was another close moments between the two. He continues to chase her until she finally makes it to the safety of her bedroom. This was Henry's first night sleeping at Reba's house. Reba tells Brock to work on his marriage to Barbra Jean. She has another nightmare and Brock comes into her room to help her. They talk about their past and about baby John. Reba falls asleep and Brock gets her to answer his questions because she talks in her sleep. What will Brock encounter in the morning? What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: I want to remind my readers that I am a Reba/Brock fan. This story is establishing the events leading up to the morning when Reba wakes up in Vegas. Brock was lucky to get her to marry him in the first place, considering the large part that Mike played in her past. Brock will realize that a little bit more later on when he realizes that Reba may fall for Mike again in the present. For the purposes of the story, the current setting for the story is fall 2008 when the family is watching the video that Lori Ann made for Mike and Reba. Most chapters will contain flashbacks for now, leading up to the viewing of the video. _

_Remember at the beginning of the story, Reba wakes up in Vegas after a night that she can't quite remember and the story reveals how she got there. The first thing is establishing the relationships and history. This will bring the skeletons out of the closet for both Brock and Reba, and then you get to see how they deal with it. The story will go forward from the back-story into establishing how Reba got to Vegas and who's with her. Brock needs to have a challenge to face. He's done some things to Reba that he's not particularly proud of during the 28 years that he has known her. He has to earn her love and trust back._

_He's put her through so much in the last six years. Trying to get back together with her won't be easy for him. She deserves a love affair better than she's had so far. I want to let you know that I will make sure that characters like Jack Morgan who do not end up with Reba will get to end up with someone else. I will tie up loose ends for the characters. I like to keep readers in suspense so I try to leave each chapter with a cliffhanger. This keeps you wanting to read more I hope that you are enjoying this story. Hang on for the twists and turns that I have planned in this story. _

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_Spoiler Alert- This story will have a sequel called Remembering Love Again. No matter what happens at the conclusion of this story. Brock will have to fight for Reba again. This will be harder in the next story. He is using their shared history to his advantage right now in this story. He will not be able to do that in the sequel. Reba will lose her memory. She will have no memory of her life with Brock._

_FYI: I've decided to turn this story, Believe in Love Again into a series of stories so there will be more than just two stories written with all of these characters and storylines like spinoff storylines. Remembering Love Again is the direct sequel that follows Believe in Love Again. I've mapping out my ideas for the stories into a timeline of events so what I'm going to do is to write a separate story from Believe in Love Again while I am writing this one. What this means for the readers is that I will throw the new story in at the appropriate time in the original story. Believe in Love Again will be on hold during the new supplemental story, Reba Nell Got Married. I will continue Believe in Love Again after that. I think that it will be easier for readers to follow rather than writing new story that come from this one after the two stories are over because this will cause readers to have to re-read Believe in Love Again just to follow any new story. I don't want to confuse anyone like that. I want you to be able to read stories while events and plots are fresh._

_Here is the order of stories: Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, Believe in Love Again (continued), Remembering Love Again, and A New Life._

_I want to give readers a preview synopsis of each of the two new stories that I've added to make this a series. Reba Nell Got Married is an idea that I got from watching Peggy Sue Got Married this weekend. I loved the idea of Reba getting a chance to go back to her teen years to fix things in her life if she can. It fits in well with the current storyline. If you want more of an idea of this story, you can read a synopsis of the movie, Peggy Sue Got Married on Wikipedia. Some things will change to fit into the current storyline from Believe in Love Again. If I added the story into this one, I think that Believe in Love Again would be too long. _

_A New Life does not fit in the current story timeline. It will take place after Remembering Love Again, but it will take place in 2001. It will have some of the same characters from the series, but the storyline will be slightly different. Reba will go to work at a residential home for teen girls in Houston during her separation from Brock. This story takes place before the divorce and Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean will be Brock's employee. She's not pregnant yet. Cheyenne isn't pregnant yet either. If you want to understand a little more about this story, please feel free to read a synopsis of Troop Beverly Hills on Wikipedia. It also has shades of Facts of Life season one in it, except for the fact that the girls are not rich and they are not in a boarding school. There will not be scouts in this story either. No one will be competing with the girls for anything so ignore the scout stuff from Troop Beverly Hills. They are thrown together by circumstance and have to learn to get along. This provides a small shell for me to start my ideas from. I'll fill this story with most of my own ideas. Reba and Brock have money. Reba has been a stay-at-home mom and a member of the Junior League. This story will allow Reba to build strength and help people without dealing with deep personal tragedy in her own life. Brock doesn't devastate her life in order to her to become the Reba Hart that we know and love._

_In A New Life, Reba goes to work at Mayflower Home for Girls, a residential youth group home for teen girls. Fourteen girls live there. Reba is one of the housemothers who take care of the girls each day. The girls vary in age from 13-20 and vary in ethnicity. Girls are sent to live there by the county juvenile courts. They are not all there because of things that they've done wrong. The home is not a punishment. Most girls are there because they do not have a parent who is able to take care of them. This story will be a little different from the others because it will mention details from parts of Reba's past mentioned in Believe in Love Again, but it will not have many of the characters from the story that I've created. It's nice to think of Reba helping people out this way. It will connect with later series events like Cheyenne wanting to focus on helping people like her mother does by becoming a drug and alcohol counselor._

_Reba doesn't remember her last night in Vegas in Believe in Love Again. She is guessing that Mike is John's father because of things that she picks up that remind her of Mike and seem to connect to that night in Vegas. Mike has not confirmed or denied that he is John's biological father. He claims that he is John's father because Reba was going to marry him and he would've been the baby's father because they were forming a family. There is still a question of who John's biological father is. Don't jump to any conclusions yet. It could be any of the guys in this story. This will be cleared up by the end of this story. I will not leave you waiting for the answer to this one. It will also be mentioned in Reba Nell Got Married._

_Even as I clear up many story points up at the conclusion of this story, I have to let you know that I will be ending it with a cliffhanger. This will be cleared up as the sequel begins. I leave it to you to wonder what the cliffhanger will be. There will be cliffhangers at the end of all stories to lead readers into the next story._

_The final ending and cliffhanger to this story will not be wrapped up with a happy ending. There is another problem for the characters to face. Poor Reba will not get the fairytale ending she wants this time. Keep reading the sequel, Remembering Love Again for a happier ending. _

_Reba was upset and frustrated about waking up in Las Vegas without being able to remember what happened the night before. She was married the night before and her new husband is in the shower. No matter who her new husband is, you should feel sorry for the guy. She will unleash her fiery temper on him. She feels tricked. She doesn't remember agreeing to marry the guy the night before. _

_Reba wakes up in Las Vegas on December 31, 2008. She got married the night before on December 30, 2008. She made a deal with Mike to get married on December 31, 2008. Her new husband could be Mike or any of the guys in this story._

_Reba's life will be in jeopardy at the end of this story. You'll have to read the sequel, Remembering Love Again to find out what happens to her and if she will be okay again. The amnesia is a separate plot point in the sequel from the initial personal danger that Reba faces when the sequel begins. _

_LovinCowboy84 will be a big part of the sequel. Reba will not meet him face to face in this story. She will continue to depend on his friendship in the sequel. His identity will not be revealed at the end of this story. You will find out his identity in the sequel. _

_At the end of this story, Reba will need to be rescued. I leave it to you to wonder who will rescue her. You'll find the answer near the beginning of the sequel._

_Lori Ann and Kim will find new loves as we move into the sequel. This means that two of the men in this story will automatically not end up with Reba because each of them will end up with Lori Ann or Kim. I leave readers to guess who will end up with whom in this story. All of the guys in this story will end up with someone. No character will be left alone without someone to love._

_I like your guesses so far. Some of them are right on track, which means that you've been paying close attention to the story. Thank you! As far as the guesses go, nothing outrageous will happen to Reba. I want to make this as close to real situations as possible. I will say that her life will be more complicated in the sequel. Right now, you are just wondering who she ends up with in Vegas. That's the main question. There will be so many other questions that will need to be answered in this sequel._

Now on with our next chapter-

Daylight crept into Reba's bedroom as the sun rose in the Texas sky. Brock opened his eyes and looked at Reba's peaceful face. She finally got a good night's sleep without any more nightmares. He wondered how long he would be able to get away with Reba allowing him to sleep in her bed and hold her all night long. As much as he hates the fact that she's had the migraines and the nightmares, he always enjoyed being the one that Reba turned to for comfort. He wondered how long Reba would fight their growing closeness. During the middle of the night, she clung desperately to him as if she were drowning and needed a life raft.

Any other time, she fought hard to stay away from situations that bordered on crossing the line between friendship and romance with Brock. She kept pushing him back to Barbra Jean. It was ironic that he was the one who was actually drowning. His marriage to Barbra Jean reminded him of a sinking ship. "That marriage is deader than a doornail. It's sunk deeper than the Titanic," he thought to himself. There wasn't much hope of convincing Reba to stop trying to patch the couple up. She's always been very vocal about doing everything possible to save the marriage and how she would never want to be a homewrecker like Barbra Jean was.

Jack Morgan was proof of that. He didn't want to do anything to anger Reba and cause her to kick him out of the house. As long as they lived like a family in the house, he still had a shot of breaking down the walls that she built around herself. He looked into the sleeping face of the woman who had occupied his thoughts and dreams for the past twenty-eight years. He was so unbelievably grateful that he got another chance to live with his family again. How could he get her to see that their relationship was the one that needed saving? They had a marriage that was never truly over for either of them. He took a finger and brushed a strand of red curls away that covered one of her eyes.

He wasn't sure what her reaction would be when she woke up. She wanted him to sleep in his own room last night. She was adamant about it. He was only supposed to stay until she fell asleep. However when she started her episode of parasomnia, she had begged him to stay with her. Will Reba believe what happened last night? She usually had no memories of her parasomnia episodes.

Last night was different though. Reba usually only talked in her sleep. He had no idea that she had developed new sleep disorder symptoms. Brock started to feel guilty about taking advantage of her like that. She revealed information that she would never have spoken otherwise. He kissed her at a time when he knew that she wouldn't object. The problem was that Reba was in no condition to consent to anything. It wasn't much different than when she was drunk.

He kept one arm draped over her body. He didn't want to give up the opportunity to hold her considering how mad she was likely to be when she woke up. He wondered how long her guard would be up this time. He didn't move because he didn't want to wake her up any earlier than he had to. He wanted to prolong dealing with her reaction. Of course, there was a possibility that she actually wanted that little make-out session that took place last night. He could try to wake her gently with a kiss and start their day peacefully. Could he take that chance?

He decided to go for it. He lifted his head off the pillow and leaned over her. She wasn't sleeping against his shoulder anymore. She was sleeping in the crook of his arm. He lifted the arm under her to raise her up ever so slightly, and then he moved in for the kiss. His lips gently pressed against hers. He gently coaxed her to kiss him back. She began to respond to the kiss. As she became aware of her surroundings, her eyes flew open. She pushed Brock off of her.

"What in the heck do you think you're doing, Brock?" Reba demanded.

"Careful, honey, you'll wake the kids. I warned you about raising your voice last night. Everyone else is still asleep."

Reba tried to calm herself down and collect her temper. "What are you doin' in my bed, Brock? Your bed is over there." Reba pointed to the adjoining wall.

Brock grinned. "You had a nightmare last night. I came in here to comfort you."

"I remember that, you mo-ron! I also remember that I told you to go back to your room. Henry is gonna know that his daddy didn't sleep in his bed last night. This is a nightmare, a living nightmare! Barbra Jean is gonna kill us!"

Reba sprang up from the bed and away from Brock as if she'd been burnt. She hit Brock with her pillow several times. Brock got off the bed and stood right in front of Reba. Reba crossed her arms in front of her, letting Brock know that she was very seriously upset with the situation.

"Reba, honey, you really need to relax. Henry is not in my bed anymore. I moved him to his bed in the guest room just before I went to sleep. I heard you screaming and crying later on. I came in here to calm you down. We talked and then you started to get tired. You asked me to stay here with you for the night. I figured that Henry would be fine. He's in the guest room. If he wakes up, then I'll tell him that I woke up early and that's why I'm not in my room. It'll be fine. I warned you last night. There will be no raised voices, no arguments, and no sarcasm around here. Henry deserves to be in a peaceful environment. He'll be here for the week. I am very concerned about how fighting and screaming at the other house has affected Henry. I want to make the adjustments as easy as possible for him. Our other children also deserve the same courtesy. We haven't been perfect examples for a peaceful, loving family. No matter what is going on, we are still a family. Any arguments need to be far away from the children. I'm gonna be firm on this, Reba."

"Fair enough, Brock. I agree. That's what's best for the kids. I'm impressed with how you are handling things with the kids lately. You've been spending more time with them and you've spent more time putting them ahead of your own needs. That's something that I've always had to do. Now you're able to share the parenting with me 50/50. I'm glad. It's been nice having help around here." Reba lowered her arms to her sides and smiled at Brock.

"I'd like to talk to you about last night. Before we went to sleep, we talked about some things that you were worried about. You mentioned that you didn't feel sexy or pretty. You said that you wanted to get married again and have more children. We talked about some of our issues, and then we kissed. I don't want to hide anything from you. Do you remember any of this?"

"No, I don't. I think that I would remember kissing you, Brock. You're making that up." Reba took a step back from Brock, getting more personal space away from him.

"Honey, if I were making this up, then I wouldn't have any way to prove it, would I? Take a look at my shoulder. You did this to my shoulder." Brock pointed to the spot on his shoulder where sucked and nipped at his skin.

"Funny, Brock. Really funny. I see a hickey there, but I'm willing to bet that Barbra Jean gave it to you. Nice try, but you can't fool me." Reba moved in to take a closer look at the spot he pointed to on his shoulder. She shook her head and moved back to her previous place where she could get some more space between her and Brock. She smiled, trying to show humor at Brock's joke.

"You could call Barbra Jean and ask her, but then you'd be tellin' her that I've got a hickey on my shoulder. She didn't put it there and she'll wonder how you saw a hickey there. Go ahead. Be my guest. First, I want you to think. Did you see a hickey on my shoulder yesterday morning? I've slept in your bed for the last two nights. I've been here in the house with Henry since he arrived yesterday morning. Where else could I have gotten it?"

"Maybe it's a bruise. We were playin' around kinda rough last night in the pool and while you were chasin' me."

"Was it there when I had you pinned to the couch?"

Reba's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no! It had to be part of the sleep problem I have. I don't remember kissin' you. I think that I would remember somethin' like that, Brock. Can't you even tell when someone awake or asleep?"

"Usually, but I couldn't be sure. We had a fairly detailed conversation. I thought that maybe you were getting some things off your mind. You've wanted to stop the nightmares."

"Okay. Let's agree that it was a mistake brought on by my sleep problems."

"People don't usually do anything drunk or asleep that they aren't already thinkin' about. You've been dreaming about me. I know that for sure. Don't you even want to know what happened?"

"I don't need to know. I've dreamt of being a famous singer. That's doesn't mean that I really want that."

"Really? I seem to remember that music was very important to you."

"Was, past tense, Brock. The most important thing to me is my family. My number one priority is being a mother. As a mother, I have so much to do that I don't have time for hardly anything else. I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. Having John and Cheyenne changed my entire outlook on life and what I want. It'd be nice to be able to sing once in a while, but that's all I'd need. Being a mother is worth so much more to me. I'd like to get married again and have more children. I was right about that last night.

I almost missed out on having our children. You've been around to help me in life or death situations twice now. Thank you for finding me that morning. I was suffering so much and you gave me a reason to live. Having Cheyenne really helped me get through the depression. My life really turned around and it's because of you, but don't get mushy about it." Reba moved in to give Brock a hug. Brock was stunned. He hugged her eagerly. When they parted, Reba did not step back away into increase the space between them. She no longer felt threatened enough to do so.

"I'm the one who is grateful to you. You do so much for this family. You had to carry each of our children inside you for nine months. You go above and beyond for everyone every day. I don't know what I would do without you. Family is important to me too. Our family includes the kids, you, and me. We are still a family, aren't we?"

"Yes. You are Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake's father. Of course, we are still family. Our family is just different now, that's all. Our family has made room for more. Now we have Barbra Jean, Van, Elizabeth, and Henry. Someday our family will grow to include my husband and other children when I get remarried. I hope to find the same happiness that you've found in the next phase of life. It's a little different, but it's good. At least, we're happier than my parents."

"What's wrong with your parents? They've been married for 43 years. They seem very happy together."

"You would think so. Never mind. I don't want to talk about them right now. You'd never understand. Believe me, we are a nontraditional family, but we are happier than they will ever be. I can't believe how well things are goin' between us. If I would've known that we could work together so well, then you could've renovated the basement for an apartment for yourself when we got separated. You could've saved a bundle from not buying the condo."

"You would've let me live here?"

"If you were willing to help me out with the kids like you are now. It's nice that we can function like as a family after everything that's happened."

"You are a good woman, Reba. I'm glad that we've reached such a good point in our relationship."

"It's good that we're able to be friends. It's what's best for the kids."

"Did you ever regret having a family with me? I've given you so many reasons to."

"Brock, you are a good friend and a good father. Our kids have turned out well despite everything. I'm just glad that we're not fighting as much anymore.

"Did you ever wonder about how I ended up finding you in the apartment that day?"

"I haven't thought much about it."

"We were becoming close friends. I saw that you were goin' through somethin' hard. I wasn't sure how to help you. I noticed the night before that you were different. You said goodbye instead of goodnight. I was worried about you. I'd kissed you before, but you initiated the kiss that night. It seemed so final. When I couldn't get a hold of you, I got the key from the office and went upstairs to check on you. I was fallin' for you. I cared about you for a long time. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if you were gone."

"I'm sorry that I put you through that. I just couldn't take how hard my life was. I missed my baby so much. Having a family with you helped me get through that terrible time. Thank you so much for being there and helping me through the darkest time."

"Thank you for being my friend even when I didn't deserve it. You've helped me through some tough times, too."

"This friendship has been a really good thing for both of us. We're always gonna care about each other. We make a good team. Having you here is really great for the kids. I'm glad that we're helping each other out right now. It's nice when the kids get to spend time with both of us. There's just one more thing that I need. I need closure on our marriage. I never got that."

To Brock's surprise, Reba leaned in and her lips landed softly on his. The kiss was slow and gentle. She lingered until she felt him kiss her back. The kiss turned passionate. Reba didn't end the kiss until Brock finally pulled away.

"That was a good way to say goodbye to that part of our relationship."

Brock cleared his throat. "So what about our date on Friday night? Do you wanna talk about our evening?"

"That's fine as long as you don't call it a date in front of Barbra Jean and the kids. I would call it a nice birthday dinner between friends. I don't care what you wanna call it otherwise."

"I'd like to take you to that Italian restaurant that you like. After that, I'd like to take you to a karaoke bar so you can sing and then we can go dancing, if you want to. I'll pick you up at five thirty. We'll have dinner at six."

"Sounds good. I just wanna be home by 10:15 so I can watch the movie at 10:30."

"We'll get home at 10:00 just to be safe. I'll make some popcorn on the stove with real butter the way that you like it, and then I'll watch the movie with you."

"Sounds like a plan. I think that it'll be a real nice evening. Wait! What about the kids?"

"Relax. Cheyenne and Van are gonna babysit Henry and he'll stay the night in their apartment. Kyra has a gig. She's staying at Barbra Jean's after that. Barbra Jean asked her to sleep over. She really misses Kyra. Jake is staying the night at Brett's house. We're free to do whatever we want."

"Within reason, Brock. Don't get any ideas!"

Reba was left to wonder just what was in store for them on their "date"….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will Barbra Jean find out what's been happening between Brock and Reba? Will Henry get used to sleeping at Reba's house? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. The review button can be found just below this story.**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**If you don't get CMT where you live, you can watch Working Class online for free. The CMT website's home page for Working Class offers free episodes of the show for fans. Come and support Melissa Peterman's new show. It means that we get to see a little more of Melissa and Reba working together on TV. With support, the show should get the full season of episodes. **

**Pass the word around to everyone you know about this show. I hope that this show makes it past season one. I think that it's cute that Melissa Peterman was paired up with the actor who played Reverend Parks aka Reverend Yummy Pants on Reba for her new show. I think that Barbra Jean would have liked that almost as much as ending up with Jack Morgan.**

_Note to Readers: I saw a great movie this weekend. It's called I saw Take Me Home Tonight. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was funny and sweet. Topher Grace was great in it. You don't have to be a fan of That 70's Show to like this movie._

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	22. Reba wants some help

_Dear Readers-_

_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays and I will do my best to make that happen each week, if I can. Unfortunately, I have to work a lot on the weekends so I end up having to post on Mondays most of the time. I'm sorry that I'm posting so late. I do also plan to have a short chapter update on Reba's birthday as an appreciation gift to all of you readers. Look for that on March 28__th__. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Some readers are confused by my plans for the story, Reba Nell Got Married. This story will interrupt Believe in Love Again. The new story will be written as a separate story. I will announce in the chapter when Believe in Love Again will temporarily stop while Reba Nell Got Married is being written. When Reba Nell Got Married is finished, then I will announce when Believe in Love Again will be back with more chapters. _

_The new story may affect the outcome of Believe in Love Again. Remember she wakes up married to someone in Vegas. Reba believes that her relationship with Mike is either love or addiction. She's trying to maintain distance from Brock. That may be difficult because he is very single in Reba Nell Got Married. They don't even know Barbra Jean in 1983. Hint-This takes place due to some heavenly guidance from her grandfather and Terry Holliway. I also liked a new fan fiction story recently that had a supernatural/other worldly theme for Brock and Reba. I really like the TV show, Charmed. I've decided to add another supernatural element into the story for Reba. After all, I already added some supernatural stuff by planning to have Reba getting heavenly guidance and traveling back in time to her past. I'm just making Reba's grandma, Cheyenne a little more special, that's all. Please try to keep an open mind. _

_It will be hilarious when Barbra Jean finds out, or as Kyra calls her, "Barbra Jesus". Barbra Jean won't even let Henry go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Supernatural events really scare her. It will be fun for you to read about her reaction. Ghosts make her go a little more crazy, imagine what seeing angels will do. Yes, there are two Terrys in the new story. Terry Holliway was alive and well in 1983. Terry the angel is one of Reba's guardian angels. I love the stories that feature his ghostly interruptions in Reba's life. This story will be different from those. Terry will be less ornery in my story. He will be more sensitive and patient. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your review made me smile. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Paige McKinney, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- "This friendship has been a really good thing for both of us. We're always gonna care about each other. We make a good team. Having you here is really great for the kids. I'm glad that we're helping each other out right now. It's nice when the kids get to spend time with both of us. There's just one more thing that I need. I need closure on our marriage. I never got that."

To Brock's surprise, Reba leaned in and her lips landed softly on his. The kiss was slow and gentle. She lingered until she felt him kiss her back. The kiss turned passionate. Reba didn't end the kiss until Brock finally pulled away.

"That was a good way to say goodbye to that part of our relationship."

Brock cleared his throat. "So what about our date on Friday night? Do you wanna talk about our evening?"

"That's fine as long as you don't call it a date in front of Barbra Jean and the kids. I would call it a nice birthday dinner between friends. I don't care what you wanna call it otherwise."

"I'd like to take you to that Italian restaurant that you like. After that, I'd like to take you to a karaoke bar so you can sing and then we can go dancing, if you want to. I'll pick you up at five thirty. We'll have dinner at six."

"Sounds good. I just wanna be home by 10:15 so I can watch the movie at 10:30."

"We'll get home at 10:00 just to be safe. I'll make some popcorn on the stove with real butter the way that you like it, and then I'll watch the movie with you."

"Sounds like a plan. I think that it'll be a real nice evening. Wait! What about the kids?"

"Relax. Cheyenne and Van are gonna babysit Henry and he'll stay the night in their apartment. Kyra has a gig. She's staying at Barbra Jean's after that. Barbra Jean asked her to sleep over. She really misses Kyra. Jake is staying the night at Brett's house. We're free to do whatever we want."

"Within reason, Brock. Don't get any ideas!"

Reba was left to wonder just what was in store for them on their "date"….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will Barbra Jean find out what's been happening between Brock and Reba? Will Henry get used to sleeping at Reba's house? Will Reba talk to Mike again? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 21 in the present year of the story-2008 with a significant Brock and Reba moment. Brock wondered whether or not to talk to Reba about what she said as she fell asleep the night before. He liked being the one that Reba needed. He thought about his marriage to Barbra Jean? He thought about romancing Reba, but it conflicted with her beliefs about not wanting to be considered "the other woman". He wanted to show her that they could be a happy family again. He wondered what her reaction would be when she woke up. **

**It was revealed that Reba suffers from multiple symptoms of parasomnia, which is a sleep disorder. He felt guilty about taking advantage of her during her episode of parasomnia. He woke her up with a kiss, hoping that she would remember what happened the night before without being mad. She woke up upset with him. At first, she refused to believe Brock's story of the events from the night before until she realized that it happened when she was in another incident with parasomnia. Brock tried to reason with Reba about keeping a peaceful atmosphere in the house without fighting for the sake of the children.**

**Reba thanked Brock for saving her life in Oklahoma and for being her friend as she's going through a hard time right now. Reba talked about getting closure on their marriage. She kissed Brock to his surprise. Her reason was closure. This prompted Brock to talk about their upcoming date. This left Reba to wonder about what would happen on Friday night? What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their "date" as well as the date itself._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_Reba doesn't remember her last night in Las Vegas. She is guessing that Mike is John's father because of things that she picks up that remind her of Mike and seem to connect to that night in Vegas. Mike has not confirmed or denied that he is John's biological father. He claims that he is John's father because Reba was going to marry him and he would've been the baby's father because they were forming a family. There is still a question of who John's biological father is. Don't jump to any conclusions yet. It could be any of the guys in this story. This will be cleared up by the end of this story. I will not leave you waiting for the answer to this one. It will also be mentioned in Reba Nell Got Married._

_Reba was upset and frustrated about waking up in Las Vegas without being able to remember what happened the night before. She was married the night before and her new husband is in the shower. No matter who her new husband is, you should feel sorry for the guy. She will unleash her fiery temper on him. She feels tricked. She doesn't remember agreeing to marry the guy the night before. _

_Reba wakes up in Las Vegas on December 31, 2008. She got married the night before on December 30, 2008. She made a deal with Mike to get married on December 31, 2008. Her new husband could be Mike or any of the guys in this story._

_LovinCowboy84 will be a big part of this story and the sequel. He is becoming a trusted friend to Reba in this story. She depends on him for advice. She will continue to depend on his friendship more often. _

_Brock still doesn't know who Paige is. That leaves you to wonder why Reba hasn't mentioned her to Brock before. She has a sister that he's never met and they were married for 18 years. He has no idea that Reba doesn't really get along with her parents. He still has no idea how determined she is to have another child. What will he say about that?_

_Reba doesn't know how bad things are between Brock and Barbra Jean. She is best friends with both of them. They haven't told her that the marriage is beyond repair. This leaves you to wonder why._

_Paige has some influence with Reba because they are close sisters. Who will she root for to win Reba's heart? Why is she helping Reba to win Mike back?_

_Why is Reba fighting so hard for Brock to stay with Barbra Jean?_

_When will Brock find out that there is a side to Reba's personality that he's never seen?_

_When will Reba realize that McAlester is a nice place to visit, but Houston is really her home?_

_In Reba Nell Got Married, there are many complications to remember. There will be new twists and turns to impact Believe in Love Again. Reba will be her current self trapped in the past. She'll be 42, trapped in her 17 year old body and life. The story will start before her birthday. If she changes the past, she may not have the wedding to Mike, but she also may not have baby John. She has to decide what to change and what not to change. This story will give you some clues to who fathered baby John. _

_In Reba Nell Got Married, there are some details mentioned in this story to remember: Mike and Reba are friends with an on-again, off-again relationship. He is dating Kim until two weeks after prom night. Reba's parents are separated. Reba's mother is dating Mike's father. Reba's father is dating Paige's mother. If Reba reunites her parents too soon, Paige may never even be born. Reba will lose her sister. Terry thinks that he is in love with Reba. He is jealous of Mike. He has a crush on Kim. Surprisingly enough, Lori Ann has a crush on Terry. Reba hates Brock. Brock teases Reba endlessly. Brock is Mike's best friend. Reba and Kim are enemies. Can angel Terry intervene to help Reba with any of this at all? After Mike breaks up with Kim, Kim dates Brock and Terry. This is before Reba's birthday._

_I like your guesses so far. Some of them are right on track, which means that you've been paying close attention to the story. Thank you! As far as the guesses go, nothing outrageous will happen to Reba. I want to make this as close to real situations as possible. I will say that her life will be more complicated in the upcoming stories. Right now, you are just wondering who she ends up with in Vegas. That's the main question. There will be so many other questions that will need to be answered in the future._

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

The next day was Sunday and Reba was concerned. Fate is laughing at her. How could Brock plan the same date that she was supposed to have with Mike in McAlester? It was her anniversary date, except there wasn't a movie and popcorn planned for afterwards. There was "dessert" planned with Mike, of course. Reba had to make sure that she doesn't get so caught up in her date with Brock that she forgets not to be lured into "dessert" with Brock.

"This is not a date. This is not a date. This is a friendly birthday dinner. Why does he insist on calling it a date?" Reba thought silently. She wrung her hands and decided to get some advice, but from who? Fate stepped in again. Brock knocked on Reba's bedroom door.

"Reba, Paige is on the phone for you. I've got the handset right here. Someone left it downstairs," Brock said.

Reba opened her bedroom door. Brock handed her the telephone. "Thank God! I'm so glad that you called. I really need your help," Reba said to Paige. Reba sat down on the bed. Brock remained near Reba's doorway. Reba forgot to shut her bedroom door and Brock was able to hear her conversation. Reba began by telling Paige what had been going on in the past two days with Brock. Brock risked Reba's temper by deciding to stand in her doorway.

She was so caught up in the conversation that she doesn't notice him there at first. Brock leaned against the doorway with a smirk on his face. He was clearly amused by Reba's panic at their recent interactions. He began to chuckle. Reba's face turned crimson as her eyes spot Brock in the open doorway. She swiftly pushed him out. She stuck her tongue out at him and shook her head. She shut the door before Brock could say or do anything else. Brock took that opportunity to run down to the kitchen to pick up the receiver there to listen in.

"Did you talk to Mike again?" Reba asked.

"Yeah, kinda. He called into the radio station yesterday afternoon and requested "Making Love Out of Nothing At All". Of course, I talked to him last night when I went in for my shift at Holliway's."

"Aww that was our song! He's still thinkin' about me. What was he wearin'?"

"He was wearing clothes, Reba, gosh! You guys are like my parents so I don't look at him like that. He looked sad, Reba."

"Do me a favor, Paige. Play "You Shook Me All Night Long" by Shania Twain as a request on your show tonight. Please? It's on her Up! CD."

"You want me to play a song like that as a request like that for him."

"Yes. It's a carefully thought-out plan with a proven formula. I turn things up to drive him crazy and then I disappear and go silent. It oughta get him to at least call me soon. On second thought, play "I Love Rock and Roll" and "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett. That will definitely drive him up the wall. Say that I'm requesting it because I've been thinking about how I want him to drive me up the wall. Don't use our real names either. Say that it's from Sally to Jack."

"How long are you planning to torture him?"

"As long as it takes. I've been doing this since I was 15. I've perfected getting his attention into an art form. I'm getting desperate enough to make some very destructive decisions. I kissed Brock, twice now. Apparently I've made out with him in my sleep. The sleep problem is getting really bad. I'm mad and depressed. Do you have any idea how long it has been since I've done it?"

"Too long. I know. You're being a total pain in the butt now. If you don't get some stress relief soon, you're gonna unleash some serious fury on someone."

"That's kinda already started. I've been yelling at everyone lately."

"Then you should hop a flight out here. Try talking to Mike. A little talking could lead to a little dancing, and then you two can try out that pool table again."

"Ha, ha! Very funny! That only happened once. It only happened because sparks burst into flames as soon as we're together."

"I'll say! You think that I like hearin' from my best friend and my ex that my pregnant sister got caught foolin' around under the bleachers at our high school. You two have fooled around on top of the bar, for heaven's sakes!"

"That was an exaggeration! Terry had just died. Brock made a pass at me that night. I was so upset. I just wanted to be with Mike again. We got caught on the pool table by Kim. That was an awesome moment by the way. I'd waited twenty years for Kim to see us together like that.

I'm not just a thought or a memory. I'm the one that Mike really wanted, not her. It was a weird night. I was drunk and so I decided to drink some more. Lori Ann was egging me on. I called Barbra Jean and pretended to be at the motel in bed with Brock. I started moaning into the phone. I thought that it was hilarious.

Mike came out of the office after talkin' with Kim. He asked Lori Ann what was goin' on. She explained and he decided to have some fun with it. He started makin' out with me at the bar counter. He was makin' noises and moanin' my name with a Texas drawl. Then he was kissin' me. We were movin' to lie down on the bar. Lori Ann freaked out and ended the call.

Then we were laughin'. We were very drunk. Mike used to be best friends with Brock. Mike and Brock used to call girls on the phone when they were younger to see if they could tell them apart. Mike would fool girls into thinkin' that he was Brock. Brock would fool girls into thinkin' that he was Mike. It was weird, that's for sure. But we didn't have sex on top of the bar. That's the whole point. We've done it on the stage though."

"Eww! Michael and I sing with the band on that stage."

"You brought up this topic of conversation, not me. By the way, which ex told you about Mike and me gettin' caught under the McAlester High bleachers?"

"Jenny is my best friend now. She's datin' Sam. I used to date Sam."

"Eww! When?"

"When I was 16. It was sophomore year. What do you mean eww?"

"Everyone knows that Mike and I are together. It became weird and unnatural when my mom started datin' Mike's dad. Now you tell me that ya used to date Sam. It's wrong! Mike and I were married and had a child together. John was your nephew and Sam's brother. Sam may someday be my stepson. It's wrong for you to date him at any time. Did Mike know about this?"

"Yeah, I don't know what the big deal is. He's really hot!"

"We are all family. That's what the big deal is. The Holliway men are all really hot. Terry used to have a crush on me. He made a move on me once. I rejected him because it was wrong. I have always loved Mike. I didn't want to be with Mike's brother. Kim and Lori Ann were both with Terry. Your mother made Mike and me your godparents. My parents never had much to do with you while you were growin' up. Mike and I were there for you. We helped raise you. Mike and I have tried to help my parents raise you as best as we could after your mother died. That's what your mother wanted. We did the best we could under the circumstances with me in Houston and him in McAlester. He looked out for you when I couldn't. It was difficult for us to be there for you like we wanted to, especially when we were each goin' through divorces. He is my best friend. Someday he might even be my husband again. We will all have to be one big happy family. Please don't let things get weird. It's hard enough bein' friends with Kim now."

"Let's talk about how wrong that is. John was my nephew who was born two months after me, but I never got to meet him. I don't feel the family connection between the McKinneys and the Holliways like you do. You had an affair with Kim's husband. No matter what she did to you, that was wrong of you to do to her. I don't know how you can stand to look at her and be her friend without tellin' her what you did."

"Wow, that's horrible of you to say. You are my sister. Your mother wasn't a saint either. She had an affair with a married man and then had his child. No one in this family is perfect. We've all done things that we're not proud of. Did you know that Jenny used to date Sam in junior high? She's always loved him. Doesn't that make you feel weird?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Hold on a second. Mike's calling on the other line."

"You're puttin' me on hold to talk to him? Fine! Let him know that I'm on the other line waitin' to talk to you."

Reba sat on her bed, waiting for her sister to get back on the line.

"I'm back."

"What did he say? Did you tell him that I was waitin' on the other line?"

"He's still on the line. I've got three-way calling."

"You should tell him that yourself. He wants to know when you're ready to talk to him again," Mike remarked.

"That's so funny. Why are you interrupting my call with my sister?"

"I called to talk to her. I didn't know that you were already on the line with her. You are really ready to think the worst of me, aren't ya, darlin'."

"You don't get to call me that. Did you know that Paige dated Sam?"

"Yeah. That happened about nine years ago."

"Why did you allow her to date him?"

"Allow her? Are you kiddin' me? She was livin' with your parents. Your father was lettin' her date Sam. I didn't want to interfere. She is a McKinney, as stubborn as they come. Do you remember what you did when your father told you not to date me?"

"Yeah, I went to Vegas to marry you. I ended up pregnant and alone. Do you have a point? My baby sister is so much smarter than I was. I've done a fabulous job of helping her to avoid making the same mistakes that I did."

"Like you did with Cheyenne? Oh yeah, you've done a fabulous job of raising your girls."

"You are not exactly a model parent yourself. You didn't even love or respect your wife enough at all. That's a fabulous way to bring up your children. They should really know how much you never wanted to marry their mother at all. She was so unloved that she had to find love in the arms of your brother," Reba said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Like your husband found love in the arms of his dental hygienist? Your husband was such a great catch that you were left so starved for love and affection that you took a plane out to Oklahoma to throw yourself at me."

"It wasn't like that and you know it. We were separated. I caught him in the act in his office. I was in shock. You didn't let me do anything. You sent me home. So I didn't do anything wrong."

"I tried to make my marriage like you told me to. I didn't do anything wrong either. I did what you wanted me to. I tried being married to Kim and it didn't work. We have a deal. Are we gonna work things out or not? I love you, Sal."

"We're still fighting. After thirty-seven years, we know exactly how to push each other's buttons. I'm scared of letting my heart get torn apart again. How do we make this work anyway? You live in McAlester and I live in Houston. I can't leave my life here. My family isn't out of the nest yet. I don't see you makin' efforts to start a life here with me. I'm the one expected to make all of the sacrifices. I can't do that anymore. If you want me, you know where I am. Come and get me. I dare you to."

"Hey, guys! I'm still here. I hate it when you two fight. You guys are like parents to me. Do all of us a favor and leave the fighting to the privacy of your own home. In other words, get a room!"

Reba laughed. "Spoken like a McKinney, all right. If Mike and I get a room, dear Paige, we're liable to tear each other to pieces or burst into flames."

"That's why you're lucky that I'm your sister. If I really was your kid, the image would be too disturbing."

Mike laughed. "She's right, you know. Sam didn't like finding us in a compromising position under the bleachers."

"Paige didn't either. She bawled me out about it earlier. That's how I found out about her and Sam."

"So basically I learned today that you haven't done it on the bar counter, but you started to on the pool table and you definitely have done it on the stage."

"Reba, you told her about that?"

"She's my sister and she asked. She seemed to know a lot more than I was telling her. Like you wouldn't have told Terry about the incident on the pool table if he were still around? He thought that it was hilarious when we were caught under the bleachers."

Mike laughed. "Yeah, he did. Man, I miss the old days."

"Me, too. I'm really sorry about you hurting your relationship with Terry and your friendship with Brock because of everything. It feels wrong. Lori Ann is far away. Kim is now your sister-in-law. That's disturbing. Terry's gone. You aren't friends with Brock anymore. It just feels strange."

"If I promise to be nice to Brock, will you please come back?"

"Nope. I'm not budging this time. I've made myself perfectly clear. The rest is up to you. Just to be honest with you, I've got a date on Friday night."

"You're just messing with me."

"No, she's not. We were talkin' about it earlier. She's very nervous about it."

"Now honey, there's no need to go to extremes. We can work on this together. I know what you want and we can work towards that together."

"It's not an extreme. It's just a date. I'm not gonna sleep with anyone else right now, okay? I'm goin' out to have a good time. I haven't been out like this in awhile."

"Fine. But you should know that I'm not gonna go out on dates. I promise ya. I'm gonna wait to work this out with ya."

"I miss the way that our lives used to be, back when we still had everyone in our lives still. Terry not around to tease us anymore about foolin' around the apartment. Lori Ann's not around to hang out with. Kim is trying so hard to be my friend that it's disturbing. Brock is completely clueless about everything. I want to fix our lives so everyone is okay with us being us again. If you could change anything, what would you change?"

"I'd still wanna marry you. I'd take you to Ada to the justice of the peace in the middle of the night that very night that I proposed. We could've gotten married right away and honeymooned in Vegas with friends."

"Nice fantasy. Anything else?"

"I'd take back every bad thing that I'd ever said to ya. I'd take back every time that I made you cry."

"Good answer. Do you think that we can still be friends?"

"I don't see that going very well when all we want to do is jump each other within minutes every time we meet."

Reba laughed. "Okay, you have until December and then I'm done. No more. Never again. I mean it this time. It's all or nothing and you need to remember that you made that decision yourself."

"We're supposed to be planning on havin' a baby together. That'll be really hard if we don't work things out. I know that you're playin' hard to get, but I also know that you want us to have another child very much."

"Sure I do. Contrary to what I've said before, I finally realized somethin'. All these years I didn't really understand who the real love of my life was."

"Are you gonna clue me in on this revelation? You've had two husbands so I've got a 50% chance that it's me."

"I used to think so, but no. The real love of my life is our son, John. He's the one guy that I'll always love more than anyone else in my life, past, present, or future."

"Then let's try again. Let's try to have another son together."

"I think that I'd like to have another daughter this time. You may think that you have this hold on me because you're the father of one of my children, but I always have another option."

"Let's review that option. Are you really gonna throw Brock in my face again? This is a man who left you pregnant and alone so he could marry his pregnant mistress. You fled the state in order to keep him from finding out that you were also pregnant. You told me that he doesn't want any more children. Isn't he still married to his new wife?"

"I wasn't planning on doin' it the old fashioned way. I figured that I could get someone to be a donor. It's just business. I can do this on my own, you know?"

"Please don't do that, Sal. I want to have a family with you. We can do this together. Have you really enjoyed being a single mom on your own for the last six years? I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions. I just thought that you were thinking of havin' a child who would be a full sibling to John or Cheyenne. I think that we've been givin' a second chance here. We can get things right this time. I just want to make John all over again with you."

Reba inhaled deeply. She choked back a sob. Before she could shed tears, she heard crying in the telephone.

"Excuse me, didn't either of you think to ask me how I'm doin'? You two are all caught up in your own drama. I need your help. I called because I needed help. I kept Mike on the phone because I need you both to focus on me for a change."

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I guess I have been a little distracted by my drama. I'm sorry if you felt that I wasn't there for you. I'm not sure what Mike's been up to."

"Hey, I'm here for her. I see her almost daily. I honestly didn't know that there was anything wrong goin' on in her life."

"Michael and I broke up."

"Did you know about this?"

"No, Sal. I swear."

"Is he still workin' for you?"

"Reba, I've had to get up on stage and sing with him since this happened. It's tearing my heart out."

"How could you do that to her, Jack? Are you blind? I'm sorry I forgot that you don't recognize when a woman is broken hearted. You didn't seem to notice when I was broken hearted over you."

"Sal, she didn't tell me anything. He didn't mention it either."

"Of course, he didn't. He didn't want to lose his job."

"It works both ways, honey. You didn't lose your job when we broke up in Vegas because you didn't do anything wrong. You were good at your job. I had no grounds to fire you. I have no grounds to fire him either."

"I entrust you with the most precious person in my life. She's had a rough life. I love her as much as if she were my own. This was a test in parenting skills. You failed this one, Jack."

"Excuse me. You're bein' hard on him. I'm not a baby. I can make mistakes on my own now. Dad isn't goin' off the handle about it. Why are you? I just need you to be my sister right now. You're turning this into another reason to fight with him."

"Our dad isn't exactly father of the year. I wouldn't trust him with takin' care of my own kids for any length of time longer than a weekend. I'm mad because I know what this type of heartache is like. I don't want you to have to go through the same pain that I did."

"You can't protect me from everythin' no matter how hard you try. I appreciate the thought though. I know how much you guys love me. I promise that if I can't handle working at Holliway's with him then I'll say somethin'."

"Jack, don't have her up on stage with him right now. I think that it'll be too hard. She should be on stage on her own or with other band members."

"I agree. All you have to do is come to me and I'll make it any changes that I need to make things easier for you, Paige. We both love ya so much. Don't be afraid to come to us with anything."

"Okay, Jack. I'm sorry that I flew off the handle. I know that you wouldn't hurt her on purpose. I believe that she wasn't as honest as she should've been from the beginning."

"I wasn't. I was okay until we had to sing a love song together last night," Paige explained.

"You are such a mo-ron, Jack. You should be more observant and sensitive of a woman's feelings. What are you gonna do when we have a daughter?"

"I love you so much, Sal!"

"What in the heck did I say?"

"You just told him that the two of you were gonna have a daughter."

"You know what I meant, Jack. That is not a done deal. It's not a done deal until you can prove to me that you are in this relationship for the long haul. I need to see a man dedicated to becoming a family man who can put me and the kids first before anything else in his life. By kids, I mean all of our kids-yours, mine, and ours. Show me that you can be the husband that I deserve. I have not experienced a good marriage that is a true partnership. I won't settle for anything else. Brock was a lousy husband to me. You ended up being a lousy husband to Kim and to me. That's not a healthy track record, honey. Think about it. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just think about all of this. That's it for now. Get off the phone. I need to talk to my sister."

"Sure thing, Sal. I'll talk to ya later, Paige. Take it easy, kiddo."

"Turn off that three way calling thing. I need to seriously talk to you now about the date."

"Do you want some extra help?"

"Sure. What exactly can you help me with before I've even told you the problem?"

"Let me get Nana on the line for another three way call. She should be able to help."

"Paige, I'm not sure that I want that kind of help."

"Sure you do or you would've never started casting love spells in the first place."

"I was 14 and that was Kim's idea. She thinks that Nana's stuff is really cool."

"You've done some since then on your own. I know you have. When was the last one? I bet that you've got one buried in your backyard right now."

"Brock put in a swimming pool so I dug it up. Besides I don't want Mike to love me because of a love spell. I think that I need to do an unbinding. I've decided that I may want to do a soul mate spell if Nana says that it's guaranteed to work. I want to find my soul mate even if it isn't Mike Holliway. I did it once before on my own. I'm not even sure that I did it right. Things got bad after that. I never wanted anything else to do with it after that. This means that I'm truly losing my mind.

I'm just that lonely and desperate, not on Lori Ann's level, but on a level that is entirely my own without the barhopping and one night stands. So I'll release some positive energy into the universe and let love find me hopefully. I sound as bad as Nana now. I sound like a crazy grandmother just like her. That can also solve my problem with Brock. All it takes to reunite him with Barbra Jean is just a simple soul mate spell. She's the love of his life. It ought to be easy enough to do. My problem can be over in as little as three months. I'll find true love and Brock's marriage will finally be fixed. Go ahead and call Nana now."

Reba was left to wonder what she could do to find true love fast. Would her grandma's special help actually work? Brock wondered just what he was about to hear ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Will Reba's grandma's help work? Will Reba find her soul mate and reunite Brock with his true love? Is that going to work out the way that she plans? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Barbra Jean soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. The review button can be found just below this story.**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**If you don't get CMT where you live, you can watch Working Class online for free. The CMT website's home page for Working Class offers free episodes of the show for fans. Come and support Melissa Peterman's new show. It means that we get to see a little more of Melissa and Reba working together on TV. With support, the show should get the full season of episodes. **

**Episode 10 that will air on Friday, March 25th, features special guest Lesley Ann Warren as Carli's mom. It is called ****Medieval Woman. Carli gets more than she bargained for when her man-eater mother takes Pam to a renaissance faire. Lesley Ann Warren has starred in two country music themed movies, Baja Oklahoma (1988) with Julia Roberts and Pure Country (1992) with George Strait. **

**Episode 11 that will air on Friday, April 1****st****, features special guest David Faustino as Carli's date. It is called ****Short, Then Sweet. ****Carli brings an Internet date to Rob's housewarming party, hoping to prove what a catch she is. Episode 12 will also air that night, featuring the family's move to their current home. I always loved Married with Children. David Faustino is very funny.**

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	23. Giving advice to Reba

_Dear Readers-_

_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays and I will do my best to make that happen each week, if I can. I'm sorry that this week's chapter is shorter than usual. Unfortunately, I have to work a lot on the weekends so I end up having to post on Mondays most of the time. I do plan to have a short chapter update on Reba's birthday as an appreciation gift to all of you readers. Look for that on March 28__th__. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. _

_Reba believes that her relationship with Mike is either love or addiction. She's trying to maintain distance from Brock. That may be difficult with his close proximity and upcoming date. Reba gets some heavenly guidance from her grandfather and Terry Holliway. I also liked a new fan fiction story recently that had a supernatural/other worldly theme for Brock and Reba. I really like the TV show, Charmed. I've decided to add another supernatural element into the story for Reba. After all, I already added some supernatural stuff by planning to have Reba getting heavenly guidance and traveling back in time to her past. I'm just making Reba's grandma, Cheyenne a little more special, that's all. Please try to keep an open mind. _

_It will be hilarious when Barbra Jean finds out, or as Kyra calls her, "Barbra Jesus". Barbra Jean won't even let Henry go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Supernatural events really scare her. It will be fun for you to read about her reaction. Ghosts make her go a little more crazy; imagine what seeing angels will do. Terry Holliway the angel is one of Reba's guardian angels. I love the stories that feature his ghostly interruptions in Reba's life. This story will be different from those. Terry will be less ornery in my story. He will be more sensitive and patient. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your review made me smile. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.

Previously- "Turn off that three way calling thing. I need to seriously talk to you now about the date."

"Do you want some extra help?"

"Sure. What exactly can you help me with before I've even told you the problem?"

"Let me get Nana on the line for another three way call. She should be able to help."

"Paige, I'm not sure that I want that kind of help."

"Sure you do or you would've never started casting love spells in the first place."

"I was 14 and that was Kim's idea. She thinks that Nana's stuff is really cool."

"You've done some since then on your own. I know you have. When was the last one? I bet that you've got one buried in your backyard right now."

"Brock put in a swimming pool so I dug it up. Besides I don't want Mike to love me because of a love spell. I think that I need to do an unbinding. I've decided that I may want to do a soul mate spell if Nana says that it's guaranteed to work. I want to find my soul mate even if it isn't Mike Holliway. I did it once before on my own. I'm not even sure that I did it right. Things got bad after that. I never wanted anything else to do with it after that. This means that I'm truly losing my mind.

I'm just that lonely and desperate, not on Lori Ann's level, but on a level that is entirely my own without the barhopping and one night stands. So I'll release some positive energy into the universe and let love find me hopefully. I sound as bad as Nana now. I sound like a crazy grandmother just like her. That can also solve my problem with Brock. All it takes to reunite him with Barbra Jean is just a simple soul mate spell. She's the love of his life. It ought to be easy enough to do. My problem can be over in as little as three months. I'll find true love and Brock's marriage will finally be fixed. Go ahead and call Nana now."

Reba was left to wonder what she could do to find true love fast. Would her grandma's special help actually work? Brock wondered just what he was about to hear ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock this time? Will Reba's grandma's help work? Will Reba find her soul mate and reunite Brock with his true love? Is that going to work out the way that she plans? What will happen during Brock's date with Reba? Who is LovinCowboy84, Reba's new online friend? What is really happening between Brock and Barbra Jean? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Barbra Jean soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 22 in the present year of the story-2008 with a conversation between Paige and Reba. Reba was panicked about her upcoming "date" with Brock. Brock was amused by Reba's panic. At first, Brock tried to listen in on the conversation in Reba's doorway. Brock eavesdropped on the phone call on the telephone extension in the kitchen. Paige told Reba about how Mike had been doing. They discussed some of Reba's ideas for getting Mike's attention. Paige highlighted some of Reba's most embarrassing intimate moments with Mike. **

**Reba found out that Paige used to date Mike's oldest son, Sam. Reba reprimanded Paige for dating a Holliway. Mike called Paige. Paige put him on the line with Reba via three way calling. They started arguing about Paige. Paige tried to get them to stop arguing. Mike told Reba that he wants to try again. Reba let Mike know what she needs out of a husband. Reba told Mike that she moving on by going on a date on Friday without revealing who the date is with. Reba revealed that baby John is actually the love of her life. **

**They talked about Reba's desire to have another child. Paige revealed that there was a recent breakup with her longtime boyfriend Michael Davis. Reba and Mike argued about whether or not Mike is doing a good job of looking out for her little sister. Paige talked with Reba about getting some help and advice from her grandma Cheyenne. Reba debated whether or not to do that. She talked about what she needed to do next to help Brock get back together with Barbra Jean. This left Reba to wonder about what would happen on Friday night? What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their date. I am working towards writing about the date itself. First, Reba has to get over her obsession with getting Brock back together with Barbra Jean. Paige and Reba's grandma will talk about how to help Reba's love life with some special help._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_Brock's secret is huge! Kim knows about it because it happened 25 years ago. It has nothing to do with baby John. Brock was part of a conspiracy against Reba. Kim was also part of the conspiracy. That why she knows about his secret. Terry is part of the conspiracy, too. Brock lied to Reba's face in chapter 7. Reba got hurt and what they did was very bad in Reba's eyes! When Reba finds out about it, she will feel even more betrayed than when Brock had the affair with Barbra Jean. Brock is very scared about what will happen if Reba finds out. He's been worried about this since 1983. It was one of the reasons why he moved Reba out to Houston. Check out chapter 7 again to figure out what Brock lied about and what the conspiracy was about._

_Remember in Chapters 9 and 16, Reba talks to Kim about Kim's past with Brock. Yes, Kim did date Brock, but Reba will not let her confirm or deny if the two of them were intimate. Reba takes it for granted that they were because of Brock's past reputation. What really did happen between Kim and Brock? In Chapter 11, Brock tells Reba that he made sure that he didn't propose to BJ until he made sure that she was really pregnant. Why did he feel the need to tell her that? _

_Reba doesn't know how bad things are between Brock and Barbra Jean. She is best friends with both of them. They haven't told her that the marriage is beyond repair. This leaves you to wonder why._

_Barbra Jean already knows most of what is going on with Brock and Reba. The question is why and how does she know about it?_

_FYI-In 1983, Reba really hated Brock. He is the last person that she would suspect of being John's father. She would never have made a guess that Brock would be John's father. In her mind, it was either a stranger or Mike. _

_In Chapter 5, it was mentioned that Mike made fake ids for all of their friends for the trip to Vegas which took place in June 1983. Reba woke up after a night of binge drinking to find a marriage license with the names of Sally McEntire and John Smith. Fake ids were used to get married. The marriage was not legal which is why Reba doesn't worry about it again. John Smith could be any of the guys that went on the Vegas trip. _

_Reba hasn't mentioned Paige to Brock yet. He had to eavesdrop on her telephone conversations to find out about Paige on top of many other things. She has a sister that he's never met and they were married for 18 years. He has no idea that Reba doesn't really get along with her parents. He is just beginning to find out how determined she is to have another child. What will he say about all of that? He is just beginning to find out things about Reba that he never knew._

_You have to be very careful sometimes when reading details because new chapters will refer back to previous chapters in my stories. I like making lots of twists and turns in my writing to keep people guessing._

_Will Reba change the events of the past by traveling back to 1983? If so, which ones?_

_I really like writing about Reba having parasomnia because she does things that she wouldn't normally do while awake. She has an excuse for being a little out of control while she's asleep. Parasomnia is going to help bring about more Reba/Brock moments. You've read about what she can do with it while she's sleeping._

_Brock does some pretty underhanded things to try to get Reba back. Some of it will work and some of it will not, pushing her away and towards Mike. This forces him to work harder to win her back the right way._

_Can you guess what the conspiracy is about with Brock and Kim? What would be that horrible to make Reba that mad and scare Brock for 25 years? Why would Brock have to move Reba to Houston because of it? No, Brock does not have a baby with Kim. Reba and Barbra Jean are the only two women that have gotten pregnant by Brock._

_I like your guesses so far. Some of them are right on track, which means that you've been paying close attention to the story. Thank you! As far as the guesses go, nothing outrageous will happen to Reba. I want to make this as close to real situations as possible with the exception of the supernatural elements that are recently added. I will say that her life will be more complicated in the upcoming stories. Right now, you are just wondering who she ends up with in Vegas. That's the main question. There will be so many other questions that will need to be answered in the future._

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Paige called Reba's grandma, Cheyenne to help discuss Reba's anxiety over her love life. Once Nana was on the line, Paige commented on what had been discussed so far.

"Hi, Sweetie. How's our darling girl?"

"I'm okay, I guess. I'm just having some doubts is all. I need some special help from you."

"Tonight is a waxing moon. After dark, you should work on this spell. You have to write it out on a special paper or stationary. These are words of power that will call the most perfect partner to you at this time. It is very important that you do not include specific names and avoid thinking of a specific person. Here's what you should write:

If there be a perfect match, this work tonight will surely catch. The perfect one who is meant to be shall find his way home to me. In perfect love and perfect trust, I send this out, but not from lust. This spell will guide us to unite, free will remains with us tonight.

Spend time mediating on your goal while you light a small fire and light two long red candles near you. When you get the feeling that everything is right and your will is focused, prepare the moon incense. When the fire has become coals or the charcoal is glowing, read aloud your writing and repeat it three times. As you read each time, sprinkle a small handful of the incense on the fire. Fold the paper and keep it near you for three days. Keep it under your pillow. After three days, light another fire and repeat the spell. Burn the paper when you are done. Open your heart to loving influences. You should also wear a pink quartz necklace on your neck and sleep with red rose petals under your pillow for awhile until you are sure that the spell is working."

"I did that spell before, Nana. I guess I messed it up."

"When did you do this spell?"

"A week before my 18th birthday. I think that I made the mistake of thinking about Mike when I did it. I've done love spells to attract Mike years ago. I don't want him to want me because of spells that I tried when I was a teenager. Please help me. I need you to do an unbinding spell. Please free his heart. If he comes to me after that, then I know that it's meant to be."

"She's got another problem. She's got a date on Friday night."

"I'm not comfortable calling it a date. It's just dinner."

"I know all about that. It's that boy again. The one who lied and broke your heart."

"Yes, Nana. Brock is takin' me out for a birthday dinner. We're friends. He has a wife, Nana. I just want to help him. He's been very sad and he deserves to get his marriage back on track and find happiness with his new wife."

"Ha! He's been awful to you. I should've cast a spell for him to spend the rest of his life miserable."

"No, don't you ever do anything like that ever! Besides Kyra says that Barbra Jean is taking care of that already."

Paige giggles. "Sounds like you when you were younger."

"Oh, she is. Our Kyra is exactly like Reba was."

"Yes, minus the special skills. I wanted normal children. I can't remember the last time that I looked in the mirror and saw the girl that you remember."

"Oh my darling, you are that girl. You've been hurt and had your heart broken, but you're still you. I do not like that man. Why do you want to help him?"

"I want to help him because he's the father of my children and he's my friend. Everything else is in the past. Mike hurt me in the past and you don't act like this about him. Nana, mama and daddy like Brock. Why don't you?"

"Mike Holliway doesn't have anything more to lie about. He's being honest with you. There are no more lies in his heart. Your parents don't see what I do. I've seen things that you wouldn't like. There are things that you do not know. You can't love someone like that."

"Nana, I care about him as a friend. Nothing else is going on. I'm gettin' ready to cast a true love spell. That should tell you that I'm lonely and nothing else is goin' on."

"Okay, Reba Nell. Repeat the same spell for him that you do for yourself. Mediate on your goal for him. Here's what you should write:

If there be a perfect match, this work tonight will surely catch. The perfect one who is meant for him shall find her way home to him. In perfect love and perfect trust, I send this out, but not from lust. This spell will guide them to unite, free will remains with them tonight.

Do everything for him that you do for yourself, except that you will place a rose quartz and chrysocolia stone in your hand. Visualize pure love. Place the stone in a red container half filled with water. Next, put three red roses and three white roses in the container as well. Replace with fresh roses when any fade. Place the container in his bedroom for about six to eight weeks. This is guaranteed to stabilize any rocky relationship and send out pure love to him. You don't have to put anything under his pillow. That should work for him."

"Thank you, Nana. I really appreciate it. I really hope that this works out for Brock. He deserves to have a happy marriage. I hope to have a happy marriage of my own soon as well."

"When do you want the fertility spell?"

Reba started to cough a little. "What? What did Paige say this time?"

"She didn't. I've seen it. Your daughter will be beautiful and very special. Maggie is the special one. I told you before that the other baby wasn't Maggie."

"Yes, I remember. But special as in gifted?"

"Yes, dear and it's about time. I've wanted it handed down for some time now."

"I know that. I just wanted to be normal before. I think that's the way that Mike wanted it. I know that Brock certainly didn't ask to sign up into that."

Paige interrupted. "That's because Brock is vanilla. You've turned vanilla too. Blah, boring."

"I don't want to be vanilla. My love life needs serious help."

"You need to be looking for a man to bring some cinnamon into your life."

"Do you think that why Mike and I haven't gotten together yet? Because I've changed into a different person."

"No one says that you have to stay that way. You can be anything that you want to be. If you want adventure and spice in your life, you just have to go out and get it."

"What do you think, Nana?""

"Sweetie, I think that if you open your heart you will find everything that you are looking for. Concentrate on what you want and be open for it to come to you. You can't be afraid. The fear is keeping you from finding love again. I'm gonna get off the phone now. Gramps needs his lunch."

"Bye, Nana. I love you. Give Gramps our love, too."

"Bye, girls. I love you both. Paige, come visit me soon. We should talk about that other man of yours."

Reba's grandma ended her call. "Paige, what is she talkin' about?"

"Reba, it's nothin. I've had a couple of dates with another guy. It's nothin' serious. I'm just playin' the game the way that you taught me to. If I want Michael to want me back, I have to appear desirable and unattainable. Greg is a really nice guy that I met at Frontier's while I was coverin' a shift for Jenny."

"I knew a Greg once. I went to junior high and high school with him."

"Really? What happened?"

"The term SOB comes to mind. He was friends with Tommy Johnson."

"Enough about me. Let's talk about Friday night or we could talk about the Internet guy you've been talkin' to."

"That's perfectly innocent. He's really nice to talk to. We're becoming good friends. I do not want to date someone from the Internet."

"You're being defensive and avoiding talk about Friday night. You need to relax. Nothing is gonna happen until you don't want it to. If you keep that in mind, then you'll be fine. If you keep worrying like this, your blood pressure is gonna go through the roof. Concentrate on your goals like Nana said."

"I will. Thanks, Paige. I needed someone to talk me out of my panic. I tend to worry a lot."

"I know. I've only been your sister for twenty-five years now."

Reba laughed. "Do me a favor and have dinner with Nana and Gramps this week."

"Why? Shouldn't you ask Mike to do that? Doesn't he take care of watchin' over stuff when you're not here?"

"Not with Nana and Gramps. She'll scare him away. He doesn't know that she's special. He didn't ever find out that I was gifted either. Most guys want normal. They don't want magically different. Our family is definitely not normal."

Paige giggled. "I'll say. I'm not afraid to take a guy over there for dinner. If he doesn't like it, then who needs him? I wanna be you so badly. I wish that I was gifted. I hate being the normal one. Why do you want to be normal anyway?"

"It's not that I'm ashamed or anything. I just don't want my life to be full of that craziness. I don't expect others to get it."

"Reba, from what you've told me, your family is crazy anyway. What's the difference?"

"Mama likes Barbra Jean more than she likes me."

"So Helen has never liked me."

"You're not her daughter. I am. I've never been good enough for her, even when I still had my skills."

"So we don't have the world's best parents. Who does? Well maybe, your kids do. You do everything for them at the expense of your own life. You are a great mom. I hope that I'm as good of a mother someday."

"Thanks, Sweetie. You were lucky. You had a great mom. She loved you so much. If you're anything like her, you'll be a great mom, too."

"I consider that a compliment coming from Reba the supermom. I love you and I'll call you again soon. I promise to listen to your advice. I'll take it easy and concentrate on getting over the breakup. I'll let Mike know if I need anythin'. Don't worry too much about me."

"You're my baby sister. It's my job to worry about ya. I promise that if I need to talk to anyone, then I'll give Barbra Jean a call. At least, I'll be reminded of how things are supposed to be with Brock if she's around."

"There you go. Bye, Sis. I'll play those songs on my radio show tonight around 10:30. Love ya."

Paige ended the call. Reba sat on her bed, wondering what her next move should be. She picked up the phone and called Barbra Jean.

"Hey, Barbra Jean. It's me, Reba. Listen how about we get together at my house for breakfast tomorrow morning around 8."

"You wanna have breakfast with me. Sounds great, best friend!"

"You are never gonna stop callin' me that, are ya?"

"Not on your life. Will Brock be there?"

"I don't know. He is stayin' here so he might be here. Is that a problem? You two are supposed to be workin' things out or at least be civil for Henry's sake."

"It would be great to spend some time with Henry and Jake. Can I take them to the park afterwards?"

"Sure, you can. It would be nice to have some peace and quiet around here. Elizabeth will be at the campus daycare center. Cheyenne headed to school and Van will have already left for work. Kyra may still be around though. She may wanna go to the park with y'all. Wait! You should clear it with Brock before takin' Henry out on Brock's week with him. You should give him a call on his cell."

"Can you just ask him really quickly?"

"No, I'm in my room. I don't know where he is right now. I'm not in the mood to deal with him right now. I've got a lot of thinkin' to do. I've got some decisions to make."

"I hear ya. I can't think when Brock's around either."

"That explains a lot about ya when you were livin' with Brock." Reba and Barbra Jean laugh.

"You and your silly little jokes. You'd be surprised how much more I get accomplished now without Brock around."

"We have to talk about that, Barbra Jean. You are supposed to be workin' on your marriage. You should be talkin' about your relationship with Brock in a positive way. You should be communicating positively with him."

"Why? Because you are Mary Sunshine? You yell at him and call him a moron. It doesn't seem to hurt your relationship with him."

"I don't have a relationship with him. He's a lyin' cheatin' giant butt who's invaded my home and my life. At least I don't have to talk to him as much now. He's in my face a lot less now that he's actually livin' here. I'm doin' my best to help you two get back together."

"You are so kind and wonderful, Reba. We don't deserve you bein' so good to us. Thank you, Reba. I'll see you in the morning, best friend."

Reba rolled her eyes and hung out the telephone when the call ended. She thought about what she would say to Barbra Jean at breakfast. She needed to know if Barbra Jean knew about the birthday dinner and was okay with it. Brock hung up the telephone in the kitchen. He got Henry and walked out the back door from the kitchen, and then he headed over to Barbra Jean's house.

Reba was left to wonder what Barbra Jean would say about her dinner on Friday night with Brock. Would she be okay with it? Brock wondered what Barbra Jean would say to Reba in the morning ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Reba's grandma's help work? Will Barbra Jean be okay with Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about her marriage to Brock? Will Reba get a sign about who her soul mate is? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Please send me a review of this chapter. The review button can be found just below this story.**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions!

**If you don't get CMT where you live, you can watch Working Class online for free. The CMT website's home page for Working Class offers free episodes of the show for fans. Come and support Melissa Peterman's new show. It means that we get to see a little more of Melissa and Reba working together on TV. With support, the show should get the full season of episodes. **

**Episode 10 that will air on Friday, March 25th, features special guest Lesley Ann Warren as Carli's mom. It is called ****Medieval Woman. Carli gets more than she bargained for when her man-eater mother takes Pam to a renaissance faire. Lesley Ann Warren has starred in two country music themed movies, Baja Oklahoma (1988) with Julia Roberts and Pure Country (1992) with George Strait. **

**Episode 11 that will air on Friday, April 1****st****, features special guest David Faustino as Carli's date. It is called ****Short, Then Sweet. ****Carli brings an Internet date to Rob's housewarming party, hoping to prove what a catch she is. Episode 12 will also air that night, featuring the family's move to their current home. I always loved Married with Children. David Faustino is very funny.**

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	24. Protecting Brock

_Dear Readers-_  
_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays and I will do my best to make that happen each week, if I can. I'm sorry that this week's chapter is shorter than usual. I'm sorry that the chapter is late again. I am also working on the preview post for Reba Nell Got Married. It takes so much time to write for two stories at once. I really applaud the other writers who do it so often. I know that readers do appreciate it. I work long hours on midnight shifts on the weekends so I end up having to post on Mondays most of the time. I will work on improving my posting times for you. I do plan to have a preview update of chapter one on Reba's birthday as an appreciation gift to all of you readers. Look for that coming Monday, March 28__th__ in honor of Reba's birthday. It will be titled Reba Nell Got Married preview. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. _

_Happy Birthday, Reba! To an amazing performer who rises to any professional challenge to the delight of her ever-growing fan base. We love and appreciate you always! This chapter is dedicated to you! Lifetime cable channel will be playing a Reba episode (Someone's at the Gyno with Reba) at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, March 29__th__. That's as close to watching Reba on TV as fans can get on Lifetime, I guess. GAC channel will be playing Backstory: Reba McEntire at 9 p.m. Central time. _

_I have chosen March 28, 1983 as the date that Reba goes back in time. I thought that would be a nice way to make another Reba connection in the story since I had chosen June for Reba Hart's birthday in Believe in Love Again. If you don't have me listed on your author alert, then you'll have to go to the Reba fan fiction site to find the preview. It will be there as early as possible on Monday, March 28__th__. The regular update for Believe in Love Again will be posted on Sunday. The update will be the usual length for chapter 25._

_We are finally going to get to Barbra Jean. We get to find out a little about what's been going on with her and how she fits into the story. She's conspiring with Brock. This decision will come back to haunt Brock later. Reba will get some heavenly guidance from her grandfather and Terry Holliway when the story reaches October 2008. Please try to keep an open mind, especially when it comes to Reba's grandma, Cheyenne. There will be some magic mentioned in this story, but nothing too strange. Most writers have actors in mind for their characters. I didn't have one in mind for Reba's grandma Cheyenne until recently. Elizabeth Taylor passed away on March 23, 2011. She was the same age as the character in 2008. I loved her performance on General Hospital. Readers should keep her in mind as they read about Reba's grandma Cheyenne. She's perfect for the part._

_I will have Reba kidnapped towards the end of the story. This was an idea that readers have requested. Thanks, FakeCubicZirconium__. __I will make sure that Brock and Mike have to prove who loves Reba more. Reba's grandma, Cheyenne will see to that. She's a scary woman sometimes. She's not kidding when she says that she will put a curse on a guy for breaking Reba's heart. Reba's grandma is a real witch. That's what Kim was referring to in chapters 9 and 16 when she called Reba "a vicious little witch". Reba had her grandma bind her gifts so she didn't do magic anymore. That's why her children are what she calls "normal". Reba will reclaim her magic abilities eventually. That's why grandma Cheyenne referred to Reba's future daughter, Maggie, as "special". Maggie will have magical abilities also. _

_Just to be clear, Reba's grandma has remarried. Reba has a step-grandfather, nicknamed Gramps, who married her grandma Cheyenne when Reba was fifteen. Her grandpa died when Reba was fourteen. This is the grandfather who will be giving her heavenly guidance. I will be interesting when Brock and Barbra Jean sit down to dinner with Reba's grandparents. Paige convinces Reba to invite them to dinner while they are visiting McAlester. That scene will be hilarious. Reba's grandma, who she calls Nana, does not hide the fact that she does magic. She intends to put fear into Brock and Barbra Jean will freak out. _

_Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your reviews make me smile. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Paige ended the call. Reba sat on her bed, wondering what her next move should be. She picked up the phone and called Barbra Jean.

"Hey, Barbra Jean. It's me, Reba. Listen how about we get together at my house for breakfast tomorrow morning around 8."

"You wanna have breakfast with me. Sounds great, best friend!"

"You are never gonna stop callin' me that, are ya?"

"Not on your life. Will Brock be there?"

"I don't know. He is stayin' here so he might be here. Is that a problem? You two are supposed to be workin' things out or at least be civil for Henry's sake."

"It would be great to spend some time with Henry and Jake. Can I take them to the park afterwards?"

"Sure, you can. It would be nice to have some peace and quiet around here. Elizabeth will be at the campus daycare center. Cheyenne headed to school and Van will have already left for work. Kyra may still be around though. She may wanna go to the park with y'all. Wait! You should clear it with Brock before takin' Henry out on Brock's week with him. You should give him a call on his cell."

"Can you just ask him really quickly?"

"No, I'm in my room. I don't know where he is right now. I'm not in the mood to deal with him right now. I've got a lot of thinkin' to do. I've got some decisions to make."

"I hear ya. I can't think when Brock's around either."

"That explains a lot about ya when you were livin' with Brock." Reba and Barbra Jean laugh.

"You and your silly little jokes. You'd be surprised how much more I get accomplished now without Brock around."

"We have to talk about that, Barbra Jean. You are supposed to be workin' on your marriage. You should be talkin' about your relationship with Brock in a positive way. You should be communicating positively with him."

"Why? Because you are Mary Sunshine? You yell at him and call him a moron. It doesn't seem to hurt your relationship with him."

"I don't have a relationship with him. He's a lyin' cheatin' giant butt who's invaded my home and my life. At least I don't have to talk to him as much now. He's in my face a lot less now that he's actually livin' here. I'm doin' my best to help you two get back together."

"You are so kind and wonderful, Reba. We don't deserve you bein' so good to us. Thank you, Reba. I'll see you in the morning, best friend."

Reba rolled her eyes and hung out the telephone when the call ended. She thought about what she would say to Barbra Jean at breakfast. She needed to know if Barbra Jean knew about the birthday dinner and was okay with it. Brock hung up the telephone in the kitchen. He got Henry and walked out the back door from the kitchen, and then he headed over to Barbra Jean's house.

Reba was left to wonder what Barbra Jean would say about her dinner on Friday night with Brock. Would she be okay with it? Brock wondered what Barbra Jean would say to Reba in the morning ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Reba's grandma's help work? Will Barbra Jean be okay with Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about her marriage to Brock? Will Reba get a sign about who her soul mate is? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 23 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with a conversation between Paige, Nana, and Reba. There was also another conversation between Reba and Barbra Jean. Reba was panicked about her upcoming "date" with Brock. Brock was amused by Reba's panic. Brock eavesdropped on the phone call on the telephone extension in the kitchen. Paige told Nana about Reba's anxiety over her love life. They discussed a couple of soul mate spells for Reba to use for her and Brock. Reba thinks that this will help Brock find happiness with Barbra Jean. **

**Reba revealed that she had cast love spells on Mike when she was a teenager. She was afraid that Mike was in love with her because of a spell. She wanted him to love her without the influence of magic. Nana has disapproved of Brock. She has had visions as part of her powers. She has known that Brock is hiding something. That has kept her from accepting him as part of Reba's life. She threatened to cast a spell on Brock to punish him for hurting Reba, but Reba won't let her. Reba insisted to Nana that she and Brock are only friends. She revealed that her children don't have any magical abilities because she gave up her magic. She wanted a normal life with normal children without magic. **

**Nana is only encouraging Reba to be with Mike Holliway because he's the only one that she can see without any secrets to hide from Reba. Reba revealed that her parents do approve of Brock, despite disapproving of Mike. Reba revealed her hurt feelings because her mother, Helen gets along with Barbra Jean better than her. Nana revealed her visions of Reba's future daughter, Maggie. Reba was reassured that her other pregnancy was not meant to be because the daughter that she longs for has yet to be born. Reba revealed her fears about Mike and Brock finding out about the family's magical abilities. **

**Paige revealed that she has a new man in her life named Greg. Reba talked about a guy that she used to know named Greg. She told Reba what a great mom that she was despite Helen as an example of a mother. Reba told Paige that she had a great mom. Reba called Barbra Jean to invite her to breakfast the next morning to find out how she feels about Reba's upcoming dinner with Brock. After the phone call with Barbra Jean ended, Brock went with Henry to talk to Barbra Jean at her house. Brock wondered what Barbra Jean would or would not say during her conversation with Reba.**

**After the phone calls, Reba was left to wonder about what would happen on Friday night during her date with Brock? What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their date. I am working towards writing about the date itself. First, Reba has to clear up some things with Barbra Jean and find out how Barbra Jean is feeling about Brock. Brock will talk to Barbra Jean about their situation and his intentions towards Reba. Reba will be talking about her anxiety to LovinCowboy84. After that, the story will lead into Reba's date with Brock._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_You have to be very careful sometimes when reading details because new chapters will refer back to previous chapters in my stories. I like making lots of twists and turns in my writing to keep people guessing._

_No one has made any guessing about the conspiracy between Brock and Kim. That's okay. There's plenty of time before that is revealed. *Spoiler*-Terry will be revealing that from beyond the grave. Remember the videotape that everyone is watching in September 2008. Terry has left a message for Reba and Mike about the conspiracy._

_Readers will find out some of what is happening between Brock and Barbra Jean a little at a time in each chapter. _

_*Spoiler*-Reba is not the only one going back in time to 1983 in Reba Nell Got Married. Terry will give another person the same privilege to fix the past. _

_Reba will start seeing Terry the angel in October 2008 when Mike re-enters Reba's life._

_Michael Davis was Paige's longtime boyfriend and high school sweetheart. He reminds Reba of Van and Mike. He is a combination of both Van and Mike in character traits and personality. _

_Reba hasn't mentioned Paige to Brock yet. He had to eavesdrop on her telephone conversations to find out about Paige on top of many other things. She has a sister that he's never met and they were married for 18 years. He has no idea that Reba doesn't really get along with her parents. He is just beginning to find out how determined she is to have another child. What will he say about all of that? He is just beginning to find out things about Reba that he never knew. He is slowly uncovering a Reba that he's found out that he never knew._

_Barbara Ann Grant is the name of Paige's mother, who Reba came to befriend in Ada in 1983._

_Max Thornton is Reba's former boss, who made a pass on her in Ada on her birthday. He is not gone from this story. He will cause more trouble for Reba._

_Greg Brooks was Reba's ex-boyfriend for two years from grades 7-9. Mike doesn't know about him. He was friends with Tommy Johnson. He has an ax to grind with Reba. _

_Baby John's full name was John Christopher McKinney. Cheyenne will name her son, John Christopher Montgomery. _

_Mike's son, Sam and his girlfriend, Jenny will get into a similar situation as Van and Cheyenne did in high school. Mike and Jenny are college students. _

_Frontier's is a restaurant owned by the Holliway family. _

_JV and Helen will enter the story soon. Reba will see them again when she visits McAlester. _

_Reba will get a chance to see baby John again and meet her future daughter._

_Reba's new daughter will be named Margaret Melissa (Maggie). This is in honor of Melissa Peterman. Her full name is Melissa Margaret Peterman. I just switched the first and middle names around for Reba's future daughter._

_I am using actual Houston locations for Reba and Brock's date. I thought that would be neat. I really planned it out._

_I wanted to explain the cinnamon and vanilla references in the last chapter by Paige and Reba in chapter 23. I didn't want anyone to be unclear about the meaning. Reba felt plain and boring when she was married to Brock. She sees Brock as "vanilla" because she never felt any excitement with him, especially towards the end of their marriage. Vanilla is a light flavoring. Most people don't eat vanilla ice cream without an extra topping on it. She sees Barbra Jean as the type of wife that Brock wants, who is generic enough to go along with whatever Brock wants. She sees herself as "vanilla" because she doesn't have much of a love life right now. Cinnamon is a type of spice. They reference it because Reba needs to spice up her love life. They will be making these references again. Brock will also be using these references too. I just didn't want to throw anybody off._

_I like your guesses so far. Some of them are right on track, which means that you've been paying close attention to the story. Thank you! I know that you are just wondering who she ends up with in Vegas. That's the main question. There will be so many other questions that will need to be answered in the future._

The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-  
Brock walked over to Barbra Jean's house from Reba's so fast that he nearly broke the 26 second record that Barbra Jean had set when they moved in. Barbra Jean was sitting on the couch watching a movie.

"Hey, Brock. What's up? Thanks for bringing Henry by to see me."

"He had a rough time goin' to sleep last night. You know how it is with it being his first time sleeping in a new place. I came over because I wanted to talk to you about Reba. I know that you were just on the phone with her."

"Yeah, I'm comin' over for breakfast in the morning. Did she ask you if I can take Henry to the park with Jake in the morning?"

"No, she didn't. That would be fine with me, but that's beside the point. I need to talk to you about what you're gonna say to Reba in the morning."

"I'm not comfortable lying to my best friend, Brock. I don't see what the big deal is anyway."

"Do you have any idea how mad Reba would be if she knew that we're not gonna work things out? She'd never let me continue to stay at the house if she thought that it would be a permanent situation. Reba does not like the concept of divorce. Things are going well right now and I don't want to ruin that."

"I understand that. I do, but she just so nice tryin' to help us work things out. I feel so guilty lying to her. I don't like conspirin' behind her back, Brock."

"Look, Reba's going through something right now. If I tell ya what's goin' on, you've got to promise me that you tell her that you know. Let her tell you when she's ready to."

"Okay, I promise. I can do this. Since you've moved in there, I haven't been around as much and I really miss knowin' what's going on with Reba." Barbra Jean padded the space next to her on the couch and invited Brock to sit down. Henry ran into the kitchen for a snack.

Brock sat down and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "It's been difficult. Reba's going through something and won't let anybody in. She makes all kinds of phone calls to people that I've never even heard of to talk about her personal life and her problems. She has family members that I've never even met apparently. She had a boyfriend in Oklahoma and they broke up recently."

"Reba had a boyfriend? Wow, that's news! Where does that leave you?"

"I'm not sure. I've tried talking to her. She doesn't want to let me get too close because I'm still technically married to you. She's afraid of becoming "the other woman". The boyfriend in Oklahoma is an ex that she was in love with before we got married. They started seeing each other again after I filed for divorce. The only reason why it doesn't last is because she's afraid of being in a relationship and he's an idiot. I found out that she had a miscarriage six years ago."

"Whoa, Reba was pregnant? When?"

"Around the same time that you and Cheyenne were. Before you ask, I'm gonna tell you that it was my baby. She ran off to have the baby with him in Oklahoma. That's where she was after Van and Cheyenne got married. Something went wrong and she had a heart attack. She lost the baby. I heard that her heart stopped and she had to be brought back. When I didn't hear from her for days, it was because she was in the hospital unconscious. You can't let anyone know what I just told you. She didn't tell me any of this herself."

"How did you find this out? Was she talkin' in her sleep again?"

"Yeah, but I also ended up overhearin' her talking about it on the phone."

"Brock, you can't be listenin' in on her phone calls."

"This from the woman who spies on people through the computer and by reading other people's e-mails."

"Alright, alright, lay off! So is she having nightmares again?"

"Yes. I hate to be glad about her sleep problems, but it gives me a great opportunity to get close to her."

"I know Reba so I know that nothing has happened between the two of you, but I know you. It wasn't for lack of trying, right?"

"A couple of times by accident. I don't plan these things you know. I can't make plans like that with her. She doesn't even want to look at me like that. My only hope is that we're going out for her birthday on Friday night. She's very nervous about that, by the way. That's what she wants to talk to you about in the morning. Is there a way that you can let her know that you're okay with it without telling her about the divorce, please? She will not go out with me if she knows that we're gettin' divorced."

"I'm so glad that we finally filed. We were just dragging it on anyway. Did the lawyer tell ya when it would be final?"

"Late September or early October. Thanks for tellin' Reba about our divorce dates. She thinks that you and I still have somethin' going on still."

"That was months ago. She's my best friend. I'm sorry, okay? I will casually try to drop it into the conversation that you and I aren't intimate anymore, okay? This is so strange. I'm helping my husband get a girlfriend. The only thing that I'm not upset about is that it's Reba. I knew that you still wanted her years ago when you told her that you thought that you made a mistake when you married me. I knew a long time ago that Reba wasn't over you either. You're just lucky that I care enough to want my best friend to be happy with the love of her life."

"I'm not sure that I would say that I'm the love of her life. It's either me or the other guy from Oklahoma. I was lucky enough to get her the first time. I only got her because he screwed up really badly. I used that to my advantage."

"To be honest, I'm really glad that we can talk like this. At least, it's a more honest relationship. We don't have the hostility anymore. Being friends is better for the kids. It makes things easier on the family."

"That's what Reba said about her and me."

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt. So, how can I help ya this time?"

"I've got a really romantic date set up for Reba on Friday. All you have to do is not let on what you know and give her some encouragement. Let her know that it's okay with you for her to be spending lots of time with me like she has been."

"Gotcha! I can do that. Let me know if you need any other help with Reba, okay? I really want to see the two of you happy again. If you need to talk to someone, I'm here for ya."

"Thanks, Barbra Jean. It means a lot and it's more than I deserve. I'm gonna get back to Reba's now. I'll leave Henry here with you for another hour so you can spend some time with him. I'll have Kyra come and pick him up in a little while."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Brock. You know if I'd know that we'd be gettin' along so well like this, I'd have divorced long ago."

"That's what Reba said about sharing the house with me as friends. Thanks, Barbra Jean. Let me know if you need anything, too."

Brock left Barbra Jean's house to walk back over to Reba's. Reba was out shopping when he returned. After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Jake went to spend the night at a friend's house after promising to return in the morning to go to the park with Barbra Jean and Henry. Kyra went to band practice. Cheyenne and Van invited Henry to stay the night in their apartment with Elizabeth. Brock and Reba were left alone for the evening. There was an awkward silence between the two at the dinner table.

"I've got some stuff to do in the kitchen so if you'll excuse me," Reba said, fleeing to the safety of the kitchen.

Brock followed right behind her. "I figured that I would help you out with the dishes."

"Fine. Just don't get in my way." Reba pulled out her herbs, incense, and other supplies; then she started burning charcoal in the barbeque grill.

"What are you doin'?" Brock said, watching her efforts in interest.

"I'm just makin' some tea and I had some papers that I felt like burning so I figured that the grill would be the safest place."

"Okay. After the dishes, I'll be up in my room. I'm gonna read for a little while."

"What are you gonna read, Golf Digest?"

"You don't think very much of me, do you? I'm deeper than that. I'm actually gonna read a book tonight."

"Yeah, Brock. You're one deep pool," Reba said sarcastically.

After the dishes were in the dishwasher, Reba turned to wave Brock out of the kitchen. "Okay, you're done now get outta here."

"Gosh, Reba. What are you doin' that's so top secret? I'm bein' thrown out of my own kitchen."

"My kitchen. I simply give you privileges to be in here."

Brock threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright, I'll go up to my room now."

He turned and walked out of the kitchen. He went upstairs to his room. Reba went back to preparing everything for the soul mate spells. Brock watched her from his bedroom window. Reba came inside to put the rose petals under her pillow and put the rose quartz necklace on. She went into Brock's room with the container of roses.

"What's that?"

"I thought that you might like some fresh flowers in your room. I got them today while I was out shopping. I'll take care of them for you. All you have to do is enjoy them. They smell really nice."

"They do. Thank you, Reba. That was very nice of you."

"Don't mention it. You should get some sleep soon. Barbra Jean will be over in the morning to have breakfast with us. It will be a good time to work on being positive with her. Remember to try to communicate with her as much as you can."

"Reba, I think that I can handle Barbra Jean. She's Henry's mother. We've been working together on custody without any problems."

"That's exactly what I mean. You shouldn't need custody arrangements, if you would be working on your marriage. I like having you here. It's been nice, but you should be at home with your wife."

"Reba, if it were that simple, then I wouldn't be here-.' Brock began. He was interrupted by the shaking of the furniture in his bedroom. Reba grabbed Brock and pulled him into her bedroom and bathroom. She quickly drew him a bath. I want you to relax here in the tub while I take care of what's going on in the house."

"Okay. Can you grab my iPod? I want to listen to music while I'm in here. It will distract me from the noise. Are you sure that I shouldn't help you out there?"

"No. You're better off in here where it's safe. I'll let you know when it's over."

Reba ran back into Brock's room with her cell phone in hand. "Listen, I don't know what goin' on, but it stops right now. Leave Brock alone! Terry, Papa, or John D., I don't care who you are. Brock is under my protection now. Leave him alone." She dialed her grandma's number on her cell phone. "Nana, call off whatever you are doin' right now! Brock is under my protection now. I don't need ya interfering. All you've done is cause my ex-husband to think that our children may not be safe living in my house with me. Please cut it out. You'll do more harm than good. I'll be working on getting Brock back together with his wife in the morning."

"That's not what I've heard from Maggie."

"Maggie? You mean my future daughter can see her future. 'Cause there is no way that Brock and I would have anything close to somethin' like that in the near future. I want to have another child with Mike. He wants to get married and raise Maggie together. I'm workin' towards that, but I don't want you to scare Brock into takin' my kids outta here with your hocus pocus."

"You have to listen to me."

"No, I don't. I am finally ready to start working on a future that I've been running from for the past six years. I've waited twenty five years for it. No one is gonna screw that up and that includes Brock. Please calm down. Whatever you see is just a temporary vision. We make choices to change our future every day. I could do one thing different than you've seen before and that vision wouldn't come true. Just try to relax. I am workin' on reuniting Brock with his true love and finding true love for myself. Everything is gonna work out fine. Please don't do anything else unless I ask, okay?"

"Agreed. I wouldn't want him to take one of your children from you again. But you wouldn't believe what I saw tonight."

"I'm sure it was really somethin', Nana. Get some sleep. I know I certainly do. I'll call you soon."

Reba ended the call. "Listen, I don't want anythin' like this going on in my house again! Go haunt Barbra Jean's house. It's over there," Reba said, pointing in the direction of Barbra Jean's. She walked back into the bathroom.

"Everything seems fine now. Our house must be on a fault line. Way to go, Brock! You bought us a house on a fault line, you mo-ron."

Brock just stared at her, smiling. He didn't buy her explanation for a second, but he chose to let it go.

"What?"

"You're already in here. Do ya wanna join me in the tub?" Brock asked, smirking.

Reba rolled her eyes at him and turned her back to leave.

"Wait!"

"What is it now?"

"I don't feel right about staying in my room tonight. Can I stay in your room just for tonight? I need some sleep and I don't think that I can sleep in there after what happened tonight."

Reba sighed. "Fine. Just stay on your side of the bed. We have to get up early to meet with Barbra Jean." She left the room and went to Brock's room. When she came back, Brock was out of the bathtub and wearing his robe. Reba was carrying the container of roses.

"What's that doing in here?"

"I want these to be the first thing that you see when you go to bed and the first thing that you see when you wake up in the morning."

"That's very sweet of you, honey. They are really nice." Brock walked over to Reba and kissed her forehead. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Reba sighed.

"The things I do for you." Reba whispered softly. She gave a thought to what Nana told her earlier about Maggie. What would Brock have to do with her future?

Reba was left to wonder what Barbra Jean would say in the morning. Would Nana's interference stop? Brock wondered what would happen in the morning ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean reveal what Brock is hiding? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about Brock hiding things from Reba? Will Reba get a sign about who her soul mate is? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

**I live in the Central time zone. There was a Reba Marathon on Lifetime cable channel on Friday, March 25****th****. Episode 10 of Working Class aired at 7 p.m. and Episode 9 aired as a repeat at 7:30 p.m. on CMT. Reba aired from 7-10 p.m. and 1-1:30 a.m. on Lifetime. I missed the first hour of the Reba marathon to watch Working Class since episode 10 does not have a repeat airing scheduled yet. I watched the Reba marathon on Lifetime from 8-10 p.m. The Reba pilot aired at 1 a.m. That was how I started to celebrate Reba's birthday and got ready to focus on more Reba fanfic writing. The Reba marathon was so great to watch while writing my fanfics.**

**Episode 10 that will air on Friday, March 25th, features special guest Lesley Ann Warren as Carli's mom. It is called Medieval Woman. Carli gets more than she bargained for when her man-eater mother takes Pam to a renaissance faire. Lesley Ann Warren has starred in two country music themed movies, Baja Oklahoma (1988) with Julia Roberts and Pure Country (1992) with George Strait. There is no repeat airing of this episode scheduled so far. This episode was great! Pam is so much like Kyra Hart. Carli's mom is ever wackier than Reba's mom. In this episode, Carli mud wrestles to defend the family honor. Carli's mom's name is Barbara Ann. This is funny because Brock's mom called Barbra Jean by the name of Barbara Ann. I liked the name enough to use it in my story.**

**Episode 11 that will air on Friday, April 1****st****, features special guest David Faustino as Carli's date. It is called Short, Then Sweet. Carli brings an Internet date to Rob's housewarming party, hoping to prove what a catch she is. Episode 12 will also air that night, featuring the family's move to their current home. I always loved Married with Children. David Faustino is very funny. These episodes will repeat at 12-1 a.m. so feel free to enjoy the Reba marathon on Lifetime from 7-10 p.m. and 1-1:30 a.m. These are the airing times every Friday night for Reba on Lifetime.**

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**  
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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._


	25. Dreaming about Brock

_Dear Readers-_  
_I know that most readers are looking forward to a new chapter on Sundays. Unfortunately, I am not able to do that with my work schedule. Updates will now be posted on Mondays. If I get a chance, I will try to get updates posted before that. This week's chapter will be the usual length. I'm sorry about the shortness of last week's update. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Please try to keep an open mind, especially when it comes to Reba's grandma, Cheyenne. There will be some magic mentioned in this story, but hopefully nothing that readers would find too strange. Reba's grandpa's name is Vince McEntire. Reba calls him Papa. I used to call my grandparents Nana and Papa also. Reba's grandma has remarried and she calls that man Gramps._

_I will be incorporating some real aspects of Reba McEntire into Reba Hart. She's an amazing singer. I will have Reba Hart singing on the stage at Holliway's. She told Brock in chapter 21 that she's okay with just singing on some local stage because she wants to be a mother first and foremost. I got that idea from Nicole Jamrose. She's a singer out of Northwest Indiana, where I'm from. She came in third in the 2006 Nashville Star competition. Nashville Star is the competition that helped launch Miranda Lambert, who also placed third in the 2003 competition. Nicole has gotten to work with Phil Vassar and Wynonna. She lives in a small town and plays local gigs on the weekends with her band, Jamrose. She's a great singer, but she's a full time mom. That's very important. It's an important quality in Reba, too._

_Reba Hart will be singing on the stage at Holliway's again in the near future. I like the idea of a small town girl with big talent who stays true to her values, gets to explore her dreams, and still have a family to raise in her hometown. That's what I want to develop more in Reba Hart- more singing and no more real estate. Jamrose is a great band so I'm going to give them a mention. They have a new song and video available online. Fall Out Of Love is a great song for Brock and Reba. Check out the band at Jamrose dot net, /#/home/. The video is at: .?grid=6&id=1042126, that's only lyrics dot com slash hits dot php?grid=6&id=1042126. _

_I will make sure that Brock and Mike have to prove who loves Reba more. Reba's grandma, Cheyenne will see to that. She's a scary woman sometimes. She's not kidding when she says that she will put a curse on a guy for breaking Reba's heart. Reba's grandma, who she calls Nana, does not hide the fact that she does magic. She intends to put fear into Brock and Barbra Jean will freak out. I had a request for Barbra Jean to be haunted like she was in the episode, The Ghost and Mrs. Hart. That is an interesting idea that I will be into the story somehow._

_Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your reviews make me smile. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Reba ended the call. "Listen, I don't want anythin' like this going on in my house again! Go haunt Barbra Jean's house. It's over there," Reba said, pointing in the direction of Barbra Jean's. She walked back into the bathroom.

"Everything seems fine now. Our house must be on a fault line. Way to go, Brock! You bought us a house on a fault line, you mo-ron."

Brock just stared at her, smiling. He didn't buy her explanation for a second, but he chose to let it go.

"What?"

"You're already in here. Do ya wanna join me in the tub?" Brock asked, smirking.

Reba rolled her eyes at him and turned her back to leave.

"Wait!"

"What is it now?"

"I don't feel right about staying in my room tonight. Can I stay in your room just for tonight? I need some sleep and I don't think that I can sleep in there after what happened tonight."

Reba sighed. "Fine. Just stay on your side of the bed. We have to get up early to meet with Barbra Jean." She left the room and went to Brock's room. When she came back, Brock was out of the bathtub and wearing his robe. Reba was carrying the container of roses.

"What's that doing in here?"

"I want these to be the first thing that you see when you go to bed and the first thing that you see when you wake up in the morning."

"That's very sweet of you, honey. They are really nice." Brock walked over to Reba and kissed her forehead. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Reba sighed.

"The things I do for you." Reba whispered softly. She gave a thought to what Nana told her earlier about Maggie. What would Brock have to do with her future?

Reba was left to wonder what Barbra Jean would say in the morning. Would Nana's interference stop? Brock wondered what would happen in the morning ….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean reveal what Brock is hiding? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about Brock hiding things from Reba? Will Reba get a sign about who her soul mate is? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who's playing matchmaker for some of the couples in this story? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 24 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with a conversation between Barbra Jean and Brock. Brock is worried that Barbra Jean will reveal Brock's true intentions towards Reba during their breakfast the next day. Barbra Jean told him that she didn't like lying to Reba about her upcoming divorce to Brock, which should be final in late September or early October. Barbra Jean gives Brock a hard time about spying on Reba. Brock revealed Reba's miscarriage and relationship with Mike to Barbra Jean. Brock asks Barbra Jean to encourage Reba and give permission to her so she won't feel so guilty about Friday's date with Brock. Barbra Jean told Brock that she thought that Brock was the true love of Reba's life. They agreed to stay friends.**

**Reba started the soul mate spells for her and Brock. After placing the special roses in Brock's room, the furniture started to shake. Reba's grandma wants to get rid of Brock. Reba put Brock under her protection and jokingly suggested that Barbra Jean should be haunted instead. Reba agreed to let Brock stay in her room because he was still shook up over the incident. She moved the roses to her room for Brock to see. She hugged Brock for reassurance. She's still trying to get Brock and Barbra Jean back together. Reba thought about the breakfast with Barbra Jean.**

**She gave a thought to what Nana told her earlier about Maggie. What would Brock have to do with her future?**** What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their date. I am working towards writing about the date itself. First, Reba has to clear up some things with Barbra Jean and find out how Barbra Jean is feeling about Brock. There's still advice coming in from Paige and Reba is still being pursued by another man. Reba will be talking about her anxiety to LovinCowboy84. After that, the story will lead into Reba's date with Brock._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_You have to be very careful sometimes when reading details because new chapters will refer back to previous chapters in my stories. I like making lots of twists and turns in my writing to keep people guessing._

_No one has made any guessing about the conspiracy between Brock and Kim. That's okay. There's plenty of time before that is revealed. *Spoiler*-Terry will be revealing that from beyond the grave. Remember the videotape that everyone is watching in September 2008. Terry has left a message for Reba and Mike about the conspiracy._

_Readers will find out some of what is happening between Brock and Barbra Jean a little at a time in each chapter. Chapter 24 did reveal quite a bit of information about Brock and Barbra Jean's current relationship._

_Reba will start seeing Terry the angel in October 2008 after Mike re-enters Reba's life._

_How many other things will Brock uncover about Reba when he spies on her?_

_Will Reba dream about Maggie soon?_

_In the beginning of Reba Nell Got Married- Brock, Barbra Jean, Paige, Mike, and Reba were staying in the apartment above Holliway's. What circumstances lead them to a visit in Oklahoma?_

_Spoiler alert**Reba will have frequent dreams about future events. Can she prevent them from happening?_

_JV and Helen will enter the story soon. Reba will see them again when she visits McAlester. How soon will Reba be visiting McAlester?_

_I am using actual Houston locations for Reba and Brock's date. I thought that would be interesting. I really planned it out._

_I've changed some of my ideas since last week. I like all of these characters enough to want to go on with another story in the series. __I think that I will call the series the "Love Again" series. __Falling in Love Again will be the title of a new story after Remembering Love Again. This is a follow up story to Remembering Love Again. It will be the fourth story in the series. Brock goes on a fishing trip and gets into an auto accident on the highway. It was a bad accident. His truck catches fire and Brock is presumed dead in the wreckage. His truck was hit by a semi._

_His twin brother, Alex moves in to help Reba with the kids. Reba is going through a pregnancy alone. She obviously needs the help because of her high blood pressure. It makes the pregnancy a higher risk. Reba may have some attraction to Alex because of his resemblance to Brock. Alex will not let much happen because he won't accept Brock's death until they find more evidence. Reba is told to accept Brock's death because her doctors feel that the stress of going through the uncertainty is too much for her with the pregnancy. She does get depression like in the story, Hold On by __iNxC0NCERTx2010. She will get help from Dr. Baker. Do you remember him from the episode, Couples Therapy?_

_She manages to work through her grief in therapy with the help of her family and friends. In May, Reba is seven months pregnant. Jake, Kyra, and Cheyenne are still in school. Kyra and Cheyenne are taking classes during the summer semester. Jake is still in school because it's May. When classes end for the spring semester, Reba moves to her new house in McAlester, Oklahoma to deal with her depression and grief. Being around her family, especially her sister and grandma, helps Reba's depression. It also helps her to start building a new life with new memories. Reba's father paid for Reba to have a new house built on their land for Reba and her new husband. _

_Remember in Believe in Love Again, Reba has a deal to marry Mike in December 2008. The house is a wedding gift. Barbra Jean becomes involved with a new man. She also moves into Reba's house in Houston temporarily to take care of the kids while Reba's gone. The kids will be visiting Reba frequently in Oklahoma. Reba will be down there working. She is part owner of Holliway's and Frontier's. She owns 50% and Mike owns 50% of each business. _

_I have not decided whether or not if Alex will be in Oklahoma or just Houston. Reba meets a man who bears a striking resemblance to Brock. This will startle and confuse her. He applies for a job at Holliway's. Reba gets to know him. He does some handyman work around her new home. He has moved to McAlester from Midland, Texas. Eventually, he confides in Reba that he woke up in a hospital in Midland, Texas with injuries and no memory of who he is. He's been trying to remember things. He had dreams that led him to travel to McAlester. After arriving, he decided to look for work and stay there. That's when he met Reba. The story will go on from there. I hope that you will like it._

_Reba hasn't met Alex before because Brock doesn't get along with him. Alex was John D's favorite son. Brock was Elizabeth's favorite son. When Elizabeth and John D. became separated, Alex moved out with John D and Brock stayed with his mother. This has led to years to estrangement between the two._

_I like your guesses so far. Some of them are right on track, which means that you've been paying close attention to the story. Thank you! I know that you are just wondering who she ends up with in Vegas. That's the main question. There will be so many other questions that will need to be answered in the future._

**Please take the poll on my profile on FF. ****Poll: Who do you think that Reba should end up with? I'm interested in getting your reactions to this poll. Please vote. I'd really appreciate it!**

**Who do you think that Reba should end up with?**

**Brock Hart**

**Mike Holliway**

**LovinCowboy84**

**Jack Morgan**

**Max Thornton**

**Someone else**

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-  
She gave a thought to what Nana told her earlier about Maggie. What would Brock have to do with her future? Reba went to bed with these questions on her mind, forgetting everything else. She woke up and went downstairs. Brock was cooking at the stove in the kitchen. She walked up behind him to see what he was cooking.

"Hi. Did you have a nice nap, honey?"

"Nap? Did I sleep through the morning? All I can remember is us going to sleep last night."

"Well honey, we didn't actually get that much sleep last night. If you remember, we were too busy to sleep."

Brock turned away from the stove and put his arms around Reba's waist. He planted kisses on the back of her neck. Reba panicked. What is the world was going on? Brock was never this forward before. He was talking crazy. They didn't do anything last night, but sleep. Reba pulled her thoughts together and pulled out of Brock's embrace.

"What in the heck do you think that you're doin'?"

"Kissing you. Am I doin' it wrong?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Did I sleep through breakfast?"

"No, honey. You were here with the family, same as always. Relax! Nobody's home. We can go upstairs and continue from last night if you wanna."

Reba's eyes flared with alarm. She spun her body around, putting up her hand in front of her to stop him before he moved towards her again.

"Are you alright? You weren't feeling well earlier. You've been sick a lot lately."

"Brock, I don't remember breakfast this morning. I don't remember feeling sick either. I also need a good reason why you're makin' moves on me like this."

"Okay, I always do. We're very hot for each other."

Reba's eyes widened in surprise. "No, we are not. You are livin' here while you work out your marriage with Barbra Jean."

"Do we have to talk about that right now? I can think of better things to do. I don't wanna argue with you. It only leads us up to the bedroom anyway. Why don't we just cut to the chase?"

"Hold it! Not a chance. I'm not gonna just jump into your arms. I have plans. I wanna get married and have a baby."

"Do ya have to keep rubbing that in my face? Let me recap for you. You want me to reconcile with Barbra Jean, not right now, but in January after you've gotten married to Mike. That way we can continue this affair as long as you want it to last. Have I got that right?" Brock replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You almost sound offended, Brock. I thought that you were more than comfortable with cheating on your wife and having an affair!" Reba shouted. Her eyes were filling with tears.

"Aww, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. This entire situation is crazy. Can't we just go back to blocking out everyone and everything in the world except for us?"

"Why would you agree to something like this if it offends you so much?"

"Because I agree that there's something still here between us and it's worth exploring. If we don't find out now, there may never be another chance. You are stubbornly planning a wedding in December."

"Because that's what is meant to be, Brock. I've waited a long time for it. You ruined the first one. You are not ruinin' this one. Mike wants to marry me and be the father of my children. I get the best of both worlds. I get an Oklahoma life and a Houston life, too. It'll be everything that I've ever imagined and everything good that we've ever had all wrapped into one. Mike makes me feel like I'm the only woman in the world for him when we're together."

"I can do that, too. When we're together, the entire world goes away. I'll give ya anything that you want."

"That's the point. You don't want it, too. You're sayin' what you think that I wanna hear because you think that my biological clock is tickin'. You say that you want what I want only because it's what I want. You don't want the same things as I do. You're just goin' along with what I want just to be with me. That's the same thing that you accused Mike of doing six years ago when we were gettin' divorced. Mike really wants the same things as I want, but not simply because it's what I want. We both want a daughter and a life together. It's an equal partnership. You don't know what that's like."

"Oh, I don't, do I? I live here. We share a bed. We share a life. We share children. You make breakfast and get the kids off to school. I watch the kids until you get home from classes. I make dinner. I have the house clean for you when you get home. You wash the breakfast dishes and I wash the dinner dishes. Occasionally we do the dishes together. We each share doing the laundry. We are friends. We talk about everything. I even study with you when you need me to. We share the responsibility of paying the bills 50/50. I've renovated the house to fit the needs of this growing family. You help me take care of Henry like he was your own. You've always wanted a pool so I got you one. If you still wanna go to Acapulco, then let's go! We've built a life together. This is more of a marriage than I ever had with Barbra Jean. Heck, this is more of a marriage than we had the first time. What more do you want from me?"

"See, it's all about you and what sacrifices that you make for me. I agree that this is a better arrangement than we had in 18 years of marriage. Part of me will always love you. It's like I told Mike a little piece of me died six years ago. It's not coming back. Do you know what else? That little piece of me died with the last good piece of our marriage. That was the only thing that was left of somethin' that turned out so bad."

"If I could turn back the time, I would. I can't do that. All we can do is move forward. I'll literally do anything to prove my love to you, Reba. Things are good between us now, really good." Brock moved forward and took her into his arms. "I don't wanna fight with you."

"I don't remember how we got this way. I'm sorry. I'm confused. I'm angry that you're insisting on somethin' that just isn't true. I have half a mind to send you home to live with Barbra Jean again. I have a headache now. What is the date today?"

"It's November 30, 2008. Are you okay?"

"No. I'm sorry that I let my temper get the best of me. I remember everythin' that you're saying, except the bed part. I sleep in my room and you sleep in Cheyenne's old room. To me, it's June 8, 2008. Whatever you think is goin' on here is not part of my reality. You've created a heck of a fantasy, Brock. There must be some kind of mistake here."

"Honey, the first time was a case of mistaken identity or a drunken mistake or whatever you want to call it. We've been sharing a bed and makin' love every night for the last thirty days. That's not a mistake or a fantasy. That's a fact. I don't sleep in Cheyenne's old room anymore. My stuff is in there so the kids won't suspect anything. That's the only reason why I appear to sleep in Cheyenne's old room," Brock said, rubbing her back to calm her down. "Wait, just a minute. Did you say June 8, 2008?" Brock smiled and then chuckled. "Good ole Terry! So you don't remember the date we went on to celebrate your birthday? You don't remember the visit to McAlester? You don't remember the videotape? This is great! I want you to see down and have some dinner with me. Come on, honey. Everything is gonna be okay."

Reba sat down at the table for dinner. They were talking together as if they hadn't even gotten in an argument. Brock kept refilling their glasses with wine. Brock put on some music and pulled Reba into a dance. "Ms. Hart, I think that they are playin' our song." Look at Us was playing on the radio. Brock was singing along to the song.

**Look at us  
After all these years together  
Look at us  
After all that we've been through  
Look at us  
Still leaning on each other**

If you want to see  
How true love should be  
then just look at us

Look at you  
Still pretty as a picture  
look at me  
Still crazy over you  
Look at us  
Still believin' in forever

Look at us  
After all these years together  
Look at us  
After all that we've been through  
Look at us  
Still leaning on each other

In a hundred years from now  
I know without a doubt  
They'll all look back and wonder how  
We made it all work out

Chances are  
We'll go down in history  
When they want to see  
How true love should be  
They'll just look at us  


Reba had her head resting on Brock's shoulder as they swayed to the music. Reba quietly pondered the words of the song and what Brock was insisting was the truth. "I'm either dead, in a coma, or dreaming because there is no way that this is real. My darling ex-husband, who had a vasectomy and didn't want to have another child with me, is back trying to convince me that we're having an affair and he wants to have a child with me. This is some kind of fantasy. What if this is a dream? Couldn't hurt to see where it's goin'."

Brock spun Reba out in a timed maneuver. She threw her head back and laughed. When she brought her head back up, she spun back to him. She was swaying in time with the music and looking into his eyes.

"This is wonderful! What's the occasion?"

"Time traveling and it's not the first time."

"Now I know that I'm dreaming. The dinner and dancing…You really are spoiling me. I can't remember the last time that we did anything like this and you've never sang to me before.

"Anything for you." Brock responded with a serious face and a look in his eyes that Reba couldn't figure out.

"It's romantic, but so strange. We haven't done anything like this since just before we were married, remember? Who are you and what have you done with Brock Hart?"

It was Brock's turn to laugh. "It's me, alright. I'm just doin' something that I shoulda done a long time ago. I shoulda never stopped. I remember the last time that we did this. It was just before I asked you to the prom."

Reba looked into his eyes with amazement. "Have you had too much to drink or have you been smokin' a little weed, Brock? You never asked me to the prom. I went with Terry Holliway."

"Ha ha, Reba. Very funny. It was April 1983. You went to the prom with Terry Holliway the first time, then the second time you went with me."

"I never went to the prom with you. Where would you get an idea like that? I didn't even like you back then."

"You made a wish and traveled back to 1983. We changed some things. You don't remember because to you it hasn't happened yet."

"Lay off the wine, Brock. You're drunk."

"I can prove it. You have a special tattoo on your lower back. You can sometimes make things happen as if by magic. Your sister, Paige is havin' an affair with a guy named Michael Davis, who is her ex. I've met your grandmother, the one who wants to put a curse on me."

"She's afraid that you'll ruin my destiny. You've already done it once before. And you're not afraid of Nana?"

"I'm under your protection, honey. You're my own personal bodyguard. Why don't we go upstairs and I'll let you guard my body even closer?" Reba looked up at him, waiting, her face turned to his, her lips open slightly. She had a beautiful mouth. He'd forgotten that. How could he have wasted so much time already? He traced it, and saw her eyes widen.

"Wake up, Reba. Wake up! You are sleeping in bed next to Brock and you have parasomnia. Don't let him hear you talk in your sleep. Come on." Reba was battling these thoughts in her head. Those thoughts were chased away by Brock's hands on her body.

He kissed her lips and felt her mouth open to his, her tongue fierce against his own. Reba was startled at the jolt she felt as their lips met. It was as if time had stopped and they were enjoying a dinner together as husband and wife all those years ago. She reached up, twining her arms around his neck, her body pressed tightly against his. He let his own hands travel under her shirt, finding the warm, soft skin of her back. He pushed himself against her and heard a low moan, then realized it had come from him. He lifted her up and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. Brock began to pull off her shirt.

Reba pulled his clothes off, not stopping until he stood naked, his bare skin to hers. He pushed her down onto the bed, sank down on top of her. There were no barriers between them anymore. Brock began to make love to her. Reba met his eyes and gasped. It had been so long. Their movements were slow and gentle. He caressed her back, kissed her neck, and touched her everywhere he had tried not to when he'd been holding her in bed all those times to ease her nightmares. They rediscovered each other all over again. His eyes blazed with passion as she moaned and cried out in joy, pulling her close.

She felt his hands explore her body again. She felt his lips explore hers more fiercely. Reba felt her heart pumping wildly. She would need her blood pressure pills before too long, but it was worth it. She didn't want it to end. She felt him hesitate for a second.

"I want you. I really want you, Brock. Don't stop," she murmured.

His movements were faster than before. It was as if he was trying burn his touch into her skin and her mind. This was more like possession and less than the act that they'd started before.

"I love you, Reba. Why did we wait so long?"

Reba felt a jolt of awareness now. This felt more real than any dream. She heard her alarm go off. She heard him groan and hit it to turn it off, not wanting to stop what they were doing for anything. Her eyes flew open. Morning light was streaming into the room. She wondered how it turned into morning so fast. They were just having dinner. She felt his hands in her hair. This was happening. This was really happening. Reba's emotions went from mind-numbing pleasure to fear.

"You hoo, good morning, time to wake up. I'm here for breakfast, Reba." Barbra Jean yelled up the stairs.

Reba was filled with panic. Would Barbra Jean burst into the room and find them in bed together? Brock wondered what he should do….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean catch Brock in bed with Reba? What will Reba's breakfast conversation with Barbra Jean be like? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about Brock hiding things from Reba? How does Reba feel about having this type of dream about Brock? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears and about what she did with Brock? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

**Working Class is not on CMT on Friday nights right now. The first twelve episodes have already aired. If you want to see any episodes that you have missed, you can watch them on the CMT website. Please let CMT know that you want them to keep Working Class on the air for another season!**

_I also watched a movie called Source Code this weekend. It was unusual, but the ending is happy and the guy gets to go back in time to save the woman that he loves. I recommend seeing this movie. I got a lot of great story ideas from watching it._

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	26. Romantic pursuits

_Dear Readers-_  
_Updates will now be posted on Mondays. Luckily, this week's chapter is posted on Sunday. I've tried to get chapters finished and posted by Sunday, but that only leads to disappointment to readers and me when I can't fulfill the Sunday deadline. If I get a chance, I will try to get updates posted before that. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your reviews make me smile. Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! My birthday is in three weeks. It would be great to have plenty of feedback by then. It would be such a nice gift. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- "Wake up, Reba. Wake up! You are sleeping in bed next to Brock and you have parasomnia. Don't let him hear you talk in your sleep. Come on." Reba was battling these thoughts in her head. Those thoughts were chased away by Brock's hands on her body.

He kissed her lips and felt her mouth open to his, her tongue fierce against his own. Reba was startled at the jolt she felt as their lips met. It was as if time had stopped and they were enjoying a dinner together as husband and wife all those years ago. She reached up, twining her arms around his neck, her body pressed tightly against his. He let his own hands travel under her shirt, finding the warm, soft skin of her back. He pushed himself against her and heard a low moan, then realized it had come from him. He lifted her up and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. Brock began to pull off her shirt.

Reba pulled his clothes off, not stopping until he stood naked, his bare skin to hers. He pushed her down onto the bed, sank down on top of her. There were no barriers between them anymore. Brock began to make love to her. Reba met his eyes and gasped. It had been so long. Their movements were slow and gentle. He caressed her back, kissed her neck, and touched her everywhere he had tried not to when he'd been holding her in bed all those times to ease her nightmares. They rediscovered each other all over again. His eyes blazed with passion as she moaned and cried out in joy, pulling her close.

She felt his hands explore her body again. She felt his lips explore hers more fiercely. Reba felt her heart pumping wildly. She would need her blood pressure pills before too long, but it was worth it. She didn't want it to end. She felt him hesitate for a second.

"I want you. I really want you, Brock. Don't stop," she murmured.

His movements were faster than before. It was as if he was trying burn his touch into her skin and her mind. This was more like possession and less like the act that they'd started before.

"I love you, Reba. Why did we wait so long?"

Reba felt a jolt of awareness now. This felt more real than any dream. She heard her alarm go off. She heard him groan and hit it to turn it off, not wanting to stop what they were doing for anything. Her eyes flew open. Morning light was streaming into the room. She wondered how it turned into morning so fast. They were just having dinner. She felt his hands in her hair. This was happening. This was really happening. Reba's emotions went from mind-numbing pleasure to fear.

"You hoo, good morning, time to wake up. I'm here for breakfast, Reba." Barbra Jean yelled up the stairs.

Reba was filled with panic. Would Barbra Jean burst into the room and find them in bed together? Brock wondered what he should do….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean catch Brock in bed with Reba? What will Reba's breakfast conversation with Barbra Jean be like? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What does Barbra Jean intend to do about Brock hiding things from Reba? How does Reba feel about having this type of dream about Brock? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears and about what she did with Brock? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 25 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with moments between Reba and Brock. She woke up from sleeping to find Brock cooking in the kitchen. Brock is concerned about Reba feeling sick. Brock isn't making sense in what he says to Reba. He insists that they are having an affair. He made moves on her and tried to kiss her. They argue over the fact that she has a deal to get married and have a baby with Mike Holliway. **

**He insists that they still have something between them. Brock appears to be offended because Reba has only wanted an affair from him. He is mad because Reba has told him that she wants him to reconcile with Barbra Jean, even after they started sharing a bed together full-time again. He stops the argument to try to make up with Reba. Reba tries to explain why they shouldn't be together again. He gives her reasons why they can make a relationship work again. She fell asleep on a night in June 2008 and Brock tells her that it's November 2008. **

**This is when she starts to realize that she might be dreaming. She enjoys dinner and slow dancing in Brock's arms. Brock sings to her. She lets herself enjoy what's happening in the dream. Brock takes her upstairs and they make love. This is when she realizes that the sensations that she's feeling are too real to just be a dream. She called out for Brock to make love to her in her dream. **

**It's just another episode of parasomnia. She wakes up to realize that what's happening in her dream is now happening for real. She begins to panic. That's when Barbra Jean shows up at the house to wake Reba up to have breakfast with her. Reba panics more at the idea of Barbra Jean catching her in bed with Brock. What will Brock say to Reba after their encounter? What will Reba do to keep Barbra Jean from finding Brock in Reba's room?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their encounter and upcoming date. I am working towards writing about the date itself. First, Reba has to clear up some things with Barbra Jean and find out how Barbra Jean is feeling about Brock. There's still advice coming in from Paige and Reba is still being pursued by Mike Holliway. Reba will be talking about her anxiety to LovinCowboy84. After that, the story will lead into Reba's date with Brock._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_You have to be very careful sometimes when reading details because new chapters will refer back to previous chapters in my stories. I like making lots of twists and turns in my writing to keep people guessing._

_How many other things will Brock uncover about Reba when he spies on her?_

_Will Reba dream about Maggie soon?_

_Spoiler alert**Reba will have frequent dreams about future events. Can she prevent them from happening?_

_I am using actual Houston locations for Reba and Brock's date. I thought that would be interesting. I really planned it out._

**Please take the poll on my profile on FF. ****Poll: Who do you think that Reba should end up with? I'm interested in getting your reactions to this poll. Please vote. I'd really appreciate it!**

**Who do you think that Reba should end up with?**

**Brock Hart**

**Mike Holliway**

**LovinCowboy84**

**Jack Morgan**

**Max Thornton**

**Someone else**

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-  
This was happening. This was really happening. Reba's emotions went from mind-numbing pleasure to fear.

"You hoo, good morning, time to wake up. I'm here for breakfast, Reba." Barbra Jean yelled up the stairs.

Reba was filled with panic. How in the world did this happen? How could this have started without her waking up? Her mind raced. What was more important right now? Would she choose this reawakened pleasure that she's been missing from him for the last six years? She never thought that she'd have this type of pleasure again with anyone other than Mike Holliway. Then there was the question of being in this moment with Brock as his wife had just arrived right downstairs. Which was the priority? Was it living in this moment or worrying about what was waiting for her on the other side of the door? She looked at the bedroom door.

Brock stopped abruptly, separating from her, and looked into her anxious blue eyes. "Relax, honey. I locked the bedroom door. I didn't want anyone to walk in and see me sleeping in your bed. We're okay. No one is coming in here. What do you want to do?" he whispered.

Reba took a deep breath and let it out. She called out to Barbra Jean. "I'll be down in just a few minutes. Make yourself at home in my kitchen just like you always do."

"Okie-dokie, Smokie. I'll start the coffee and the breakfast. Take your time."

Reba giggled. "If she only knew, huh?" she whispered. "We better make this count. We've only got a few minutes."

She lifted her head up and seized his lips fiercely, pulling him closer to her. Brock was shocked. He expected her to panic, yell, and get mad. She was calmer than he'd seen her in awhile, especially under the circumstances. She was fiery, passionate, and daring. He was not used to this side of Reba.

"We've already done this. We're already guilty. We should at least make it worth the trouble we causing. Stoppin' isn't gonna change a thing. Don't you dare stop! I haven't had sex in a long, long time. We're just gonna forget everythin' and everyone outside of that door for now. You're gonna finish what you started unless you like having a fumin' redhead on your hands."

Brock softly chuckled. He ran his hand softly across her cheek. "I wouldn't hear of it, honey. Are you sure? I don't want to do anythin' that you don't really want to do."

Reba nodded. "You're getting lucky, Brock. Don't question it. We'll talk later; I mean, really talk about this. For now, we're just gonna live in the moment."

Brock's deep blue eyes lit up with excitement. He flashed her that same sexy smile that he used to give her. Reba returned his sexy smile with one of her own. She wrapped her arms around Brock's neck firmly and captured his lips hungrily with hers, a kiss that Brock enthusiastically returned. She pulled him to her once more, wanting him inside her again. As their bodies joined, he held his fingers to her cheek and forehead, cupping her cheek reverently as he stared deep into her eyes. He was going slowly this time. She had time to tell him to stop if she changed her mind.

She didn't. It was gentle and tender, nothing like the possessive encounter that began before. That earlier encounter was so fierce that it seemed as if Brock was trying to burn the moment into both of their minds forever. He let go of her face. Everywhere he touched her tingled with electricity, and she felt as if she'd been floating in a cloud.

She opened her eyes; saw him staring down at her. "Wow!" she murmured softly.

"I know, honey." He commented with a gentle tone as his movements became faster paced.

She gave herself up to him. To whatever this was. To whatever it meant for them. She kissed him, and saw that he was smiling. It was his special smile. She decided that it was a smile that belonged to her. She loved the idea of that, having something of his that belonged to her alone and not to Barbra Jean. What did this encounter mean for them? Where should they go from here? Brock lay sprawled next to Reba; he was rubbing her back, scratching lightly and making her shiver. She pulled the blanket up towards them more.

"I'm hungry for breakfast. I just don't wanna move right now."

"I'm hungry, too. I'm just hungry for more of this."

She turned her head around and kissed him long and slow. "We have to go now. BJ is waiting downstairs."

The thought occurred to Brock that Reba hadn't referred to Barbra Jean as BJ since before he married her. She began calling her Barbra Jean after their divorce. Reba hadn't called her BJ not once in the last five years. He wondered what that could mean. He'd hoped that she felt something possessive towards him now, that they were moving in the right direction back towards each other. Reba's cell phone rang suddenly, breaking through the silence. Reba pulled away from Brock to answer it. She looked at caller i.d.

"Good morning. What has you up so early?"

"Turn on the app on your iPod for KMCO. Michael's show is on and you won't believe who he's puttin' on the air. Hurry up!"

"Hold on. I'll put you on speaker while I get dressed. I have to put on something decent and get downstairs. Barbra Jean is here, bright and early for breakfast." Reba put the call on speakerphone and rushed to get dressed. Brock said on the bed, amused by Reba's flurry of sudden activity.

"Tell Weathergirl Barbie to go home. Does she have one or did she just forget how to get there?"

Reba laughed. She rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Do I actually hear you brushing your teeth? Hurry up, already!"

"I am. I'm just tryin' to get the taste of last night out of my mouth."

"You didn't! You finally got some stress relief. That's wonderful. The question is whether or not it was enough to remove the giant stick from your butt."

"Paige!"

"Reba! I'm just glad that you finally went out and had a good, fun, sexy hookup."

"Honestly, Cheyenne would never talk to me like this."

"One of the many advantages of being your sister. Cheyenne obviously wasn't comfortable telling you that you needed to go out and get laid."

Reba shook her head. "I have to ask myself where we went wrong with you."

"Where did Dad go wrong with you? You and Mike are like the poster children for casual hookups all over town."

"We are not." Reba groaned. "It just so happens that in about fifteen years or so you will find out what I've discovered. Women hit their sexual prime later in life. Paige, you will enjoy it more when you get to be around my age."

"Do you have the app on?"

Just then, Barbra Jean yelled upstairs. "Reba, there's a delivery for ya at the door."

Paige giggled. "Let the romance begin."

"What is going on here, Paige?" Reba hastily unlocked her bedroom door and ran downstairs. She had her cell phone and her iPod in her hand. Brock waited a minute or so at the top of the stairs before going downstairs.

Reba signed for the delivery. It was a bouquet of lavender English roses and an envelope. Inside the envelope was a DVD.

"Ooh, pretty flowers. They're very unusual." Barbra Jean commented.

"Haven't you ever seen Reba get flowers before, you homewrecker? There are men who think that she's got the body of a twenty year old, you know."

"Paige, be nice."

"They're English roses. The lavender color means enchantment and love at first sight." Reba explained.

"What does the note inside the flowers say?" Paige asked.

Reba read the note. "It says: I sing to you with hearts and flowers. 'This bud of love by summer's ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet' I'm not sure what the first part means but the last part is a quote from Romeo and Juliet."

"Reba, turn on your iPod app for the station."

"Okay, I'm doin' it now."

The sound of the radio station could be heard through Reba's iPod. Reba, Barbra Jean, and Brock walked into the kitchen to start breakfast.

"Good morning, I'm Michael Davis. We have a special request for one lucky listener. Reba, Mike wants you to know that he really misses you. Here's the song, Suspicions."

**I'm so glad that I met you baby  
I'm so proud when we walk in the room  
I know it's crazy to worry like I do  
I get this feelin' that I'm losing you**

I get these suspicions  
Even though I know that you love me baby  
And I really shouldn't feel this way  
Ooh, suspicions  
I can't help it you're just so good lookin'  
I'm afraid somebody's gonna steal you away from me

When I go out to a party with you  
You always turn every head in the room  
I just know what's on every man's mind  
I try to fight it, but it gets me sometimes

I get these suspicions  
Even though I know that you love me baby  
And I really shouldn't feel this way  
Ooh, suspicions  
I can't help it you're just so good lookin'  
I'm afraid somebody's gonna steal you away from me

Ooh, suspicions

When I'm with you I feel so satisfied  
The way you touch me when you lay by my side  
That look in your eyes when we make love  
Makes me hate myself for what I'm thinkin' of

I get these suspicions  
Even though I know that you love me baby  
And I really shouldn't feel this way  
Ooh, suspicions  
I can't help it you're just so good lookin'  
I'm afraid somebody's gonna steal you away from me

Suspicions  
Even though I know that you love me baby  
And I really shouldn't feel this way  
Ooh, suspicions  
I can't help it you're just so good lookin'  
I'm afraid somebody's gonna steal you away from me  
Suspicions  
Oh baby, Oh darlin'

Cause I love her  
Cause I love her

I love her and she loves me  
Ain't nobody gonna take my girl from me

"Okay, listeners. We also have another request coming from Mike to Reba. Here's the song, We Were In Love."

**If I could invent a time machine  
Then maybe we'd both be seventeen  
Cruising in my first car, and actin' like movie stars on a Friday night  
Do you remember those Friday nights**

We were a rock ready to roll, there was a fire down in our souls  
And all the whole world had to stand still then turn around us  
'Cause that was the deal  
And oh, how those nights went flowing like wine  
When I was all yours and you were all mine  
And we were in love, yeah, we were in love

I can still see you when I sleep  
There is a picture I still keep  
You with your hair in the wind  
And me with that crazy grin under summer skies when dreams where too young to die

We were a rock ready to roll, there was a fire down in our souls  
And all the whole world had to stand still then turn around us  
'Cause that was the deal  
And oh, how those nights went flowing like wine  
When I was all yours and you were all mine  
And we were in love, yeah, we were in love

Oh I know, I know it sounds crazy, but baby you're still the one  
So let's find a way to bring back the days when our hearts were forever young

And we were a rock ready to roll, there was a fire down in our souls  
And all the whole world had to stand still then turn around us  
'Cause that was the deal  
And oh, how those nights went flowing like wine  
When I was all yours and you were all mine  
And we were in love, yeah, we were in love  
Oh, we were in love  
Oh, we were in love

"Welcome back, folks. We also have someone in the studio to play a song for one of our listeners."

Reba heard Mike's voice singing "Closer to You". He sang and played the tune on his guitar.

**This curtain blowin' on a river breeze **

**Slips across the bed and it rustles the sheets**

**Seems everything I do**

**Just reminds me of you**

**Smell of the mornin' in the rainy land**

**Touch of satin across my hand**

**Just makes me wish I, **

**Wish I could be**

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Wrapped in your lovin' arms**

**Holding you tight**

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby, **

**Baby **

**Deep in the night**

**If I said that I loved you **

**Would you turn away**

'**Fraid of what you think you supposed to say**

**Well that's alright, baby**

'**Cause I already know**

**I can see it in your eyes**

**I can hear it in your voice**

**Believe me, baby**

**We've got no choice**

**Come here, come here**

**Come here to me**

**Got to be **

**Closer to you **

**Closer to you**

**Wrapped in your lovin' arms**

**Holding you tight**

**Wanna be**

**Closer to you **

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby, **

**Baby **

**Deep in the night**

**Wanna be **

**Closer to you**

**Closer to you**

**Whisperin' baby**

**Closer to you**

"Reba honey, do you think that you could forgive me for being a jealous moron. I may be a jealous moron, but I'm a jealous moron who loves you. Please come back and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to ya."

Reba heard Paige's voice over the speaker on her cell phone. "I did not know that they were gonna do that. I thought that Michael was just gonna play a couple of requests on the radio. That was amazing! It was so romantic! How can you not melt at somethin' like that?"

"I'm no longer desperate and no longer addicted. I just got a big dose of stress relief. I don't need any stress relief from him in the near future. He's gonna have to do better than that. Being together is no longer a foregone conclusion anymore."

"So, how was it? Where did it happen? I want details."

Reba took Paige off of speakerphone. "You're as bad as Lori Ann."

"Are you kiddin' me? I'm happy for ya, honestly."

"I was kinda down so I went out last night. I got drunk and ended up goin' home with somebody. I was out late and I didn't get back until very early mornin'. I definitely didn't get much sleeping done. So, you're talkin' to Michael now? Or was that just a scheme of yours to get Mike and me back together?"

"We just started talkin' this morning. He called to tell me to call you to turn the station on. He also told me about the flowers. We didn't talk about much else."

"I can't believe that the two of you are gonna throw away an eight-year relationship. This is so wrong. You two need to try to work it out."

"Mike is callin' me. I'm gonna put him on three-way calling."

"Don't you dare, Paige! Paige Michelle McKinney, don't you dare put him on the phone!"

"Good mornin', darlin'. Did you like your surprise?"

"The roses are lovely. It was nice and unexpected. I'm not gonna watch that DVD right now. Thank you for the songs. Look, I'm feeling very pressured right now. I don't like how that feels. This is my life. I have a life here in Houston that I love. I'm not gonna move away from my kids for a relationship that isn't even stable. We are just a fling. Until you can prove to me that we're more than that, I'm not gonna talk to you anymore. I mean it! No tricks, no hearts, no flowers, no poems, and no music. I think that we should continue to see other people. I went out on a date last night and I'm going out again this weekend. You can do what you want. Goodbye, Mike."

Reba ended the call with Paige and Mike. Her cell phone started to ring again. "Grand Central Station."

"Hey, girl! I heard that Mike pulled out all the stops this morning."

"I don't care anymore. I told him that I'm done. You can have him back, Kim. Terry's gone. I'm not comin' back. You should try again, at least for the sake of your kids."

"We're over. There's nothin' left with us anymore."

"Can you give it another try? I'm done with the whole separation and divorce thing. People should just stay married. Am I the only sane one around here?"

"I'd call your sanity into question because you're throwin' away a chance to have a life with Mike."

"I refuse to consider being with him anymore until I know that it's definitely over between you two. That means that you have to try to date him again. If it doesn't work out, then that's okay. I'm insisting that you try. I've got to go now, Kim. Bye."

Reba put the cell phone on the counter and began getting ingredients together and boiling water on the stove.

"Are you okay, Reba?"

"No, I am not okay. Everyone around me wants to treat commitment like a joke. Commitment is serious. It's not a game that you can just try out when you feel like it. When you love someone, you should do everything that you can to make it work. Relationships aren't always easy." Reba tried to keep the tears from falling. She tried to put on a brave front.

"You should just sit down before your blood pressure goes up," Brock cautioned.

"Are you givin' me advice, Brock? Everything is a joke to you, Brock. You wouldn't know what commitment was if it bit ya on the rear! I'm makin' some tea. That's how I'm gonna calm down. I will be perfectly calm when the kids come downstairs. Let's just make breakfast and not talk until we sit down to eat, okay?"

Brock and Barbra Jean nodded wordlessly. They looked at each other and then looked at Reba. They got up and started making breakfast with Reba in silence. Reba went and got nine rose petals to put into the boiling water in the teapot- three were red, three were white, and the other three were lavender. Reba put some teabags with chamomile and peppermint into the teapot with a teaspoon each of vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. She silently thought about the intent of the love spells that were cast. She remained strong in her resolve to reunite Brock with Barbra Jean no matter what had happened between them last night and this morning. Barbra Jean was putting eggs, bacon, and sliced fruit on big plates to set out on the table. Brock made the toast and the coffee.

Reba excused herself with a cup of coffee to go upstairs. She encouraged Brock and Barbra Jean to sit down together with a cup of tea and talk things out while the kids were still upstairs. She fled upstairs as fast as her feet could take her. She took a sip of her coffee and put the cup down on the nightstand by the bed. It no longer brought her the same get-up-and-go feeling that she usually felt as she started her mornings. This morning, she actually felt more tired and rundown. She put the DVD in her closet in a box full of special things from Mike that she saved over the years. She put the roses down on the dresser.

She thought about giving them to Cheyenne. She could always tell her that the roses were from Van. She sat on the bed and hoped that things were going well between Barbra Jean and Brock. She made them some of Nana's special tea. Reba figured that it might just do the trick to spark something between the two. Wanting anything else was a bad idea, a very bad idea. She had no right to want her best friend's husband. However it happened, being with him again gave her the strength to be more confident about her choices.

She was not a desperate woman. No man was worth the immense heartache that she'd already been through. She was a little happier. She finally gave Mike a good figurative kick in the rear. She wanted to see how he would react now. She still had one more trick up her sleeve. She ordered a dozen red roses from Foster's Flowers with an anonymous dinner invitation for Friday night to be delivered to Mike. She called Kim back and told her to take Mike out to dinner on Friday night.

Kim agreed after Reba explained that she was testing Mike's fidelity. Reba really just wanted to see if those two had any romantic sparks left. She couldn't get into anything with Mike again until she was sure that Kim and Mike were really history. She was going back and forth about what she wanted in the first place. She called her cousin, Maddi and asked her to ask Mike out on a date for Saturday night as a backup plan. If Friday night's dinner was a bust, then Saturday night ought to be a real test for him. Even if he saw through Friday's date as another ploy of Reba's, he'd never suspect that Reba would set him up again on Saturday night. She put her head in her hands.

That's when it sunk in that Friday's dinner with Brock would be very awkward after what happened between them. Breakfast with Brock and his wife would be even more uncomfortable that morning. She wondered how long she could stay holed up in her bedroom. She went to lie back on the bed and touched the sheets, remembering what happened that morning between her and Brock. She wondered how many more times it happened between them during the night, but was too scared to approach that subject with Brock right now. She closed her eyes and waited for the feelings of peace and calmness that she desperately wanted to come to her. There was a light knock on the door. She didn't respond and chose to pretend to be asleep, hoping that the person would give up and leave her alone.

The kids had Brock and Barbra Jean downstairs. She could afford to take this time for herself. The door opened slowly. Reba heard whoever it was step into the room and then the door shut. Reba breathed a sigh of relief. Then she felt someone sit down on the bed beside her.

"I know that you're not asleep. Give it up, Reba. I know you better than that. Besides, you made the tea to help calm yourself down and you didn't even drink it."

Reba opened her eyes and groaned. "I'm trying to get some peace and quiet. I usually start my day very peacefully, but that's been ruined this morning."

"That is not my fault."

"I'm aware of that. I'm just realizing that I participated in making things worse for you and BJ. I'm sorry about that."

"There were two of us here, you know. It wasn't just you. That was quite some story that you told over the phone."

"Paige feels the need to butt into my love life. I really didn't want to give her the personal details. It's honestly just as uncomplicated as I made it sound. We had a onetime encounter and it won't happen again."

"Apparently she thinks that it was enough to 'remove the giant stick from your butt'. So was it?" he asked, smirking.

"If you're askin' if I'm gonna get uptight about this, then the answer is no. It's not as if I've never had an encounter like this before."

"An encounter? We make love and you call it an encounter."

Reba got frustrated with the direction that the conversation was taking. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Making love is something that you do with your wife. You and I had sex. That's it. I prefer the word encounter over something like hookup or one night stand."

"One night stand? Are you kidding me?"

"This is new for me. I don't make it a habit to have sex with married men. I'm not a homewrecker and I'm not gonna start being one now. I am not that type of woman."

"As opposed to Barbra Jean?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what she is. You should ask her just how many married men she's slept with. There were lots. I know this for a fact. I found out six years ago after I found that picture of you and BJ in the garage. Most of them were dentists. She's what Lori Ann calls a tooth tart." She turned her back to him, not really wanting to see the look on his face.

Brock takes in this information, not knowing how to respond and not wanting to fight with her. "This is not how I pictured this morning turning out. Do you know what we were doin' not more than an hour ago?" He started to rub her back gently.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't mean for you to find out like that. BJ came to me one night when I was out with Lori Ann. She explained the whole thing to me. She wanted me to forgive you so badly. That's why I apologized. I have always hoped beyond hope that you haven't ever done anythin' like that to me while we were married. I just couldn't stand the thought of you cheatin' on me with her while you were livin' in our house."

"Honey, I can promise ya that I have never had sex with BJ at any time while I have lived in our house." He bent down and spoke softly in her ear, then he kissed her shoulder.

"I really don't wanna get into any type of deep discussion right now. I will say just one thing about what you heard this mornin'. It's my turn to have a midlife crisis and it's your turn to be the supportive one and give the time and space to make my own mistakes."

"Do you consider what happened between us a mistake?"

"You are not gonna be satisfied until I say somethin' about it, are ya? I'd call it a very pleasurable encounter, but not one that you can expect to be repeated, okay? For once, I just wanna live in the moment for a change. I've never done that before." Reba turned to face Brock. "I'm always the responsible one who has to worry about everythin'. I want the chance to really enjoy my life without thinkin' about everyone else once in a while. I'm not sorry about what happened between us, but I will be if you keep talkin' about it."

"Fair enough. Now, drink your tea. I came all the way up here to help you calm down. You have high blood pressure and I don't want anythin' to happen to you, honey."

"I don't feel like drinking tea right now. You and BJ can have it, okay? I'm just gonna finish my coffee and then go downstairs to have breakfast." Reba said, as she sat up in bed.

"Somethin' is up with you. You insist on makin' the tea. You put it in front of me and Barbra Jean after screaming at me about relationships and commitment, then you run upstairs like a bat outta h-. What's goin' on with you, Reba? Somethin' is up with the tea, isn't it? Even I've seen that movie where the wife poisons her cheatin' husband's food."

"Poison you and BJ? Believe me, I've thought about it a thousand times, but I've never acted on it. I'm just tryin' to help you. I just wanna help ya." Reba responded. Her shoulder sagged during her explanation.

"I'll believe it when I see it. If nothing's wrong with the tea, then you drink it."

Brock handed her the teacup. She took a long sip of the tea to show him that nothing was wrong. Brock took the cup out of her hands and put it on her nightstand. He looked into her eyes and moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness.

The touch of his lips on hers sent a shockwave through her entire body. Barbra Jean was still downstairs sitting in the kitchen alone, waiting for Brock and Reba to come downstairs. The thought tore at her insides. It gnawed away at her conscience…

Reba was filled with guilt. Barbra Jean was waiting downstairs, not suspecting that anything like this would be happening between her husband and Reba. Reba was wondering how she could ever face Barbra Jean this morning. What would she say?….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? What will Reba's breakfast conversation with Barbra Jean be like? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What will Barbra Jean say about music and the roses? How does Reba really feel about her encounter with Brock? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears and about what she did with Brock? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

**Working Class is not on CMT on Friday nights right now. The first twelve episodes have already aired. If you want to see any episodes that you have missed, you can watch them on the CMT website. Please let CMT know that you want them to keep Working Class on the air for another season!**

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	27. Talking it out

_Dear Readers-_  
_It's a sad week when two of Reba's favorite shows get cancelled, especially when she's made guest appearances on both of them; first, Working Class on Monday and then One Life to Live on Thursday. One Life to Live will only stay on the air until January 2012. I wonder if Reba started watching One Life to Live when she was in high school like I did. Of course, she was in high school when the show began. It hasn't been quite as long for me, but it has been a very long time. _

_Girls used to talk about what was happening on One Life to Live in my classes. I learned more about the history of One Life to Live than I did about Geometry during my sophomore year. This was back in the day when Christopher Rich played Prince Eric Charming in primetime television. I own DVD's of The Charmings. It gives me some extra inspiration in writing for Brock. Check out clips of the show on YouTube._

_I do feel the need now to add some more One Life to Live references in my stories. It's always been one of my favorite daytime shows so I share that in common with Reba. When the show, The City was canceled on ABC, Reba was hired to host a temporary show called A Daytime to Remember. She introduced re-airings of classic ABC daytime episodes. I think that's what she was doing on her 42nd birthday. The show was filming that day. It was eventually replaced by The View._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! My birthday is in a little over two weeks. It would be great to have plenty of feedback by then. It would be such a nice gift. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- "Do you consider what happened between us a mistake?"

"You are not gonna be satisfied until I say somethin' about it, are ya? I'd call it a very pleasurable encounter, but not one that you can expect to be repeated, okay? For once, I just wanna live in the moment for a change. I've never done that before." Reba turned to face Brock. "I'm always the responsible one who has to worry about everythin'. I want the chance to really enjoy my life without thinkin' about everyone else once in a while. I'm not sorry about what happened between us, but I will be if you keep talkin' about it."

"Fair enough. Now, drink your tea. I came all the way up here to help you calm down. You have high blood pressure and I don't want anythin' to happen to you, honey."

"I don't feel like drinking tea right now. You and BJ can have it, okay? I'm just gonna finish my coffee and then go downstairs to have breakfast." Reba said, as she sat up in bed.

"Somethin' is up with you. You insist on makin' the tea. You put it in front of me and Barbra Jean after screaming at me about relationships and commitment, then you run upstairs like a bat outta h-. What's goin' on with you, Reba? Somethin' is up with the tea, isn't it? Even I've seen that movie where the wife poisons her cheatin' husband's food."

"Poison you and BJ? Believe me, I've thought about it a thousand times, but I've never acted on it. I'm just tryin' to help you. I just wanna help ya." Reba responded. Her shoulder sagged during her explanation.

"I'll believe it when I see it. If nothing's wrong with the tea, then you drink it."

Brock handed her the teacup. She took a long sip of the tea to show him that nothing was wrong. Brock took the cup out of her hands and put it on her nightstand. He looked into her eyes and moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness.

The touch of his lips on hers sent a shockwave through her entire body. Barbra Jean was still downstairs sitting in the kitchen alone, waiting for Brock and Reba to come downstairs. The thought tore at her insides. It gnawed away at her conscience…

Reba was filled with guilt. Barbra Jean was waiting downstairs, not suspecting that anything like this would be happening between her husband and Reba. Reba was wondering how she could ever face Barbra Jean this morning. What would she say?….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? What will Reba's breakfast conversation with Barbra Jean be like? Will Barbra Jean give her blessing to Reba going on a date with Brock? What will Barbra Jean say about music and the roses? How does Reba really feel about her encounter with Brock? Will Reba be talking to LovinCowboy84 about her fears and about what she did with Brock? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 26 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with Reba dealing with the two men in her life. She woke up from sleeping to realize that her dream was becoming reality. Barbra Jean arrives at Reba's house right in the middle of Brock and Reba's "encounter", but she does not catch them in the act. Reba prefers to call what happened between them an encounter instead of a hookup or a one-night stand. Reba refers to it as casual sex instead of lovemaking. Even with Barbra Jean right downstairs, Reba tells Brock to continue and finish what they started. **

**Paige calls Reba to tell her about a dedication to her on the local McAlester radio station. Reba has the app on her iPod. A dozen lavender English roses were delivered to Reba from Mike with a poem and a DVD. Paige reveals her dislike of Barbra Jean. Reba refers to Barbra Jean as BJ again. This leaves Brock hopefully that it was a sign that things were moving in the right direction between them. Reba tells Paige that she had a one-night stand the night before. **

**Reba starts making breakfast in the kitchen with Brock and Barbra Jean while listening to the radio app. Michael Davis plays two dedications from Mike to Reba on his radio show. He plays "Suspicions" by Tim McGraw and "We Were In Love" by Toby Keith. Mike starts singing a song and playing his guitar to Reba on the radio. He sings "Closer to You" by Dennis Quaid. He apologizes for how jealous he acted when they last saw each other in Oklahoma. He begs her to give him another chance. Paige puts Mike on a three-way call with Reba. **

**She insists that they can't have a relationship the way that things are and insists that they keep dating other people. Kim calls Reba and Reba tells her that she won't take Mike back until she is sure that Kim and Mike's relationship is really over. She asks Kim to take Mike out on a date Friday night to test Mike's fidelity and see if the two of them have any feelings left. She arranges for flowers to be delivered to Mike with an anonymous dinner invitation for Friday night. Reba also asks her cousin Maddi to take Mike out on a date for Saturday night. Reba gets upset because so many people that she cares about have not worked to save their marriages. It causes her to get angry with Brock. She is upset by the number of friends and family involved in separations and divorces. **

**It renews her resolve to reunite Brock and Barbra Jean. She makes some of her grandma's special tea with a love spell in it. She puts it down in front of Brock and Barbra Jean and heads upstairs. She doesn't want to see what happens when they drink the tea, but she wants to give them the privacy to talk about their relationship. She wants them to work things out because it is the right thing to do, but she doesn't want to watch. Brock is highly suspicious of Reba's behavior, especially after the problems that he had the night before when the furniture started moving in his bedroom. He knows that something strange is going on, even when Reba tries to deny it. He heads upstairs with a cup of the special tea to give to Reba. **

**Reba is trying to let go of any feelings of panic rising within her and find some peace as she lies down alone on her bed. She can't help but think about what had happened between her and Brock. Brock enters Reba's bedroom and confronts Reba about her behavior. Brock is upset with the way that Reba is casually treating what happened between them. Reba accidentally reveals Barbra Jean's 'tooth tart' past to Brock. Reba reveals how upset she has been at the thought of Brock cheating on her before they separated. Brock tells her that he hasn't slept with Barbra Jean at any time that Reba and Brock have lived together in their house. He is hinting to Reba that he hasn't been involved with Barbra Jean at all while he has been currently living with her. **

**Reba asks for Brock's support while she goes through her midlife crisis, the way that she tried to be when he went through his. She talks about how she wants to be the one to be free to live in the moment for awhile. He confronts Reba about the tea and questions why she didn't drink some of it herself. He casually comments about a movie where the cheating husband's food is poisoned. This gets a small reaction out of Reba. She insists to Brock that she only wants to help him, not hurt him. Brock insists that Reba drink some of the tea herself. After she drinks it, he kisses her. Reba has strong feelings during that kiss.**

**She struggles with her feelings and her conscience. What will Reba say to Brock after their kiss? What will Reba do to appear that everything is normal, despite her anxiety over the situation? How will she be able to face Barbra Jean during breakfast, knowing that she has done something that may hurt her best friend?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba and Brock's feelings about their encounter and upcoming date. I am working towards writing about the date itself. First, Reba has to clear up some things with Barbra Jean and find out how Barbra Jean is feeling about Brock. Reba will be talking about her anxiety to LovinCowboy84. After that, the story will lead into Reba's date with Brock._

_Here are some things to remember as you read this story: _

_You have to be very careful sometimes when reading details because new chapters will refer back to previous chapters in my stories. I like making lots of twists and turns in my writing to keep people guessing._

_How many other things will Brock uncover about Reba when he spies on her? Has Brock found a way to put Reba's meddling to his advantage?_

_Brock knows that something out of the ordinary is going on. He has been listening in on her phone calls. He knows that she can cast spells and he is suspicious of the tea that she made. He makes her drink some of it._

_Spoiler alert**He knew that it was not ordinary tea. He knows that Reba is shaken up pretty badly over what's been happening between them. He refuses to let Reba continue to meddle in his relationship with Barbra Jean. He didn't let Barbra Jean drink the tea. _

_Will Reba dream about Maggie soon?_

_Spoiler alert**Reba will have frequent dreams about future events. Can she prevent them from happening?_

_I am using actual Houston locations for Reba and Brock's date. I thought that would be interesting. I really planned it out. I am also trying to use real names of locations and businesses in McAlester when possible. Most of the places mentioned in upcoming chapters are real. I did research to make the story more authentic. _

**Please take the poll on my profile on FF. ****Poll: Who do you think that Reba should end up with? I'm interested in getting your reactions to this poll. Please vote. I'd really appreciate it!**

**Who do you think that Reba should end up with?**

**Brock Hart**

**Mike Holliway**

**LovinCowboy84**

**Jack Morgan**

**Max Thornton**

**Someone else**

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

The touch of his lips on hers sent a shockwave through her entire body. Barbra Jean was still downstairs sitting in the kitchen alone, waiting for Brock and Reba to come downstairs. The thought tore at her insides. It gnawed away at her conscience. Barbra Jean was one of her best friends. Could she hurt Barbra Jean the way that she'd been hurt? Was that even fair?

She heard Paige's voice inside her head, telling her that Barbra Jean was a professional home wrecker and deserved everything like this and more. That was true. Barbra Jean had broken up many marriages before hers with her adulterous behavior. Brock just happened to be another good looking dentist with a rocky marriage. They were separated, so he didn't have a wife waiting for him at home; so all BJ had to do was bide her time, waiting for the right moment to act on her feelings for Brock. Again, anger singed the corners of her control. Reba gave herself freely to the passion of his kiss. She kissed him with a hunger that belied her outward calm.

Raising his mouth from hers, he gazed into her eyes. Her bright, clear blue eyes were filled with a curious deep longing. Before Reba could react, he reached out and drank some of the tea from Reba's cup. She was so carried away from her own response to his kiss that she failed to notice. His lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time. All of her loneliness and confusion welded together in one upsurge of devouring yearning. A war of emotions raged within her. His arms encircled her, one hand in the small of her back.

She allowed her subconscious thoughts to surface. What was she doing? She didn't want to encourage Brock to cheat on his wife. She yanked away from him.

"I'm sorry. I think I'm sendin' ya all kinds of mixed messages here. Your wife is right downstairs and we should not be doin' this."

"Reba, honey, it's okay. Believe me, we're not doin' anything wrong here."

Reba folded her arms in front of her in a protective gesture. "It is wrong for a married man to be kissin' and doin' other things like that with another woman."

"You are not the other woman here. Not in this situation," Brock insisted.

"In this situation today, are you married? Is Barbra Jean still your wife?"

"Technically, yes. If you'll let me explain, I'll tell ya what's been goin' on."

"I don't wanna hear it, Brock! This is my fault. I should have been locking the bedroom door at night since you moved back into this house. Last night, I should have never let ya sleep in here. Everything was fine after you got out of the bathtub."

"How could you have known that? The room was shakin'. It could've started shakin' again."

"Believe me, you have no reason to worry about that anymore. That shouldn't be happenin' anymore. You have my personal guarantee, especially if you stay away from me. Nothin' is gonna happen to ya."

"I have to wonder why you feel so confident about this. The only thing is that I can't stay away from you. We live in the same house and share the responsibility for takin' care of five kids and one grandkid. We have another one on the way."

"What did you say? Van is not our kid."

"Cheyenne is havin' her baby any time now. We've had to take care of Van and Cheyenne for years now. He caught their house on fire on the first day they started living on their own."

"Point taken, but I'm the one who's had to take care of them for years now. You just got here."

"That's not true. Why do you think that I bought a house so close to yours? I've been tryin' to lend a hand as much as possible."

"I've heard about the marriage advice that you gave Van about Cheyenne. He thinks that you're the best father-in-law ever. Are you kiddin' me?"

"Look, I know that it's taken me a lot of time to learn how to get things right, but I've built a good relationship with Van. He trusts me and comes to me for help. I really appreciate that. I've always wondered if my relationship with the kids was damaged by the divorce."

"I know. I've wondered that myself. I've wondered how much the kids resent us for gettin' divorced. That's why you can't put them through that again. You have to do whatever you can to save your marriage."

"I'm tryin'. I know that what I'm doin' is gonna make the kids so happy in the long run. I'm doin' what's best for them. I'm gonna set a good example. I had a wonderful wife and a good life. I'm tryin' to get that back. It's a slow process. It's not my fault if I married the most stubborn woman in the world."

"So Barbra Jean took the title from me? Finally, someone else can set you straight! Now I won't have to do things like this anymore." Reba slapped him upside the head gently.

"Hey, why does everything with you have to get so physical?"

"It's not my fault that you're a mo-ron. You're the one who married me. No one held a gun to your head. You've had the free will to do anythin' that you wanted all this time."

"After twenty-eight years, that's why you're the perfect person to set me straight. No one else can do the job as well as you can."

Reba shook her head and threw up her hands in the air. "You're insufferable. You didn't want me to do that job anymore. I'm not the perfect one for you."

"That's why I'm a moron, Reba. I always mess things up and I need you to help me. You know that. I'm tryin' to do better. You are the perfect one. You make me want to do better. You really do set me straight. By the way, you haven't stopped doin' the job. You've kept me on the straight and narrow ever since we met."

"That's because you were a mess. When we met, you were an even more insufferable jerk. You thought that you could just skate by and get whatever you wanted. That's not how life works, Brock. People don't just do whatever you want them to do whenever you want them to. I had blinders on. That was my problem. You actually did me a favor when we got divorced. I was livin' in a fairytale like some TV show housewife like Donna Reed. I actually got to become my own person."

"I know, honey. I'm sorry that you didn't feel free to do that when we were married. You've really grown into quite a woman."

"Nice of you to notice. So you don't mind when I feel the need to smack ya? That's what you get when you marry a redhead. You get the fire, the passion, and everythin'."

"Okay, so I don't mind the physical stuff so much. I love that about ya. You are the most alive person that I've ever met. I learn somethin' new about ya every day. I'll deal with the fire as long as I get the passion, too. I know that I'll probably do somethin' to earn dealing with the fire. That's what mo-rons do," Brock responded, smirking. His eyes were dancing with laughter.

"Okay. I agree with the fact that you're a mo-ron and that you do somethin' to tick me off every day. But I like bein' friends with ya, Brock. You're a wonderful father and that's a good place to start. We have to agree that we just stay friends. Nothin' else, I mean it." Reba countered, offering her hand for Brock to shake in agreement.

Brock took the hand that she offered. He shook it and then pulled her towards him before Reba could protest. "I'll be anythin' that you want me to be. I'm here for you always. I don't wanna lose that. But I'm a guy, you have to realize that if you offer me more, I'm not gonna say no. I won't turn you down." he said, whispering into her ear.

A tumble of confused thoughts and feelings assailed Reba. She surprised Brock when she leaned lightly into him, tilting her face towards his. "Brock honey, you won't be getting another offer like the one you got this morning from me. I can promise you that. You can talk to me again when you stop thinking with what you've got in your pants." She rose up from the bed and walked downstairs to have breakfast with Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean and the kids were downstairs having breakfast at the big table in the dining room.

"Good morning, everybody. It's wonderful that we could all sit down together like this. I'm glad that you could join us, Barbra Jean." Reba said brightly with a big smile on her face. The smile hid her raging inner turmoil. She hasn't felt any strong aggression to Barbra Jean like this in years. This was the woman who grown into being one of Reba's best friends. Reba shook off the feelings of hostility rising up within her.

Reba watched as Brock came downstairs with Henry. He got plates of food set up for the two of them and sat down to join the family. Feelings of hostility were replaced by uncertainty. Reba felt a swell of contentment as she observed Brock with Henry. Reba spent most of the meal cheerfully chatting with the kids. She asked Barbra Jean to talk with her in the kitchen after breakfast while the kids were getting ready to go out.

"Barbra Jean, I wanted to talk with ya about Friday night. Brock asked me to go out to dinner with him. He's takin' me out for my birthday. Are you okay with that? If you're not, I won't go. I don't wanna hurt ya. I know how hard divorce can be and separation is even harder. It can be hard to see your husband goin' out with another woman. I want to reassure you that it's not a date."

"Reba, it's fine. I'm fine with you and Brock goin' out on Friday night. I trust you and I know that you really care about me. You're my best friend. Besides, I've got a date for Friday, too."

"Barbra Jean, you are supposed to be workin' on your marriage. How is goin' out on dates with other men gonna help with that?"

"Our marriage counselor suggested that we see other people. We got married for the wrong reasons. Seeing other people will help us to discover what we really want from a relationship and help us to appreciate each other more. We are slowly workin' toward building new lives. It's important that we do what's best for Henry."

"That's good, Barbra Jean, really good. So are we good?"

"Yes, of course. I've got a date with Eugene Fisher. Can ya believe that he still wants to date me?"

"That's nice. So where is he takin' ya?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure that Brock will take you somewhere nice. He's really good about birthdays and stuff like that. He can be very generous when he wants to be."

"Yes, I remember that he has his moments."

"Reba, I can't believe it. You just agreed with me and said somethin' nice about Brock."

Reba rolled her eyes. "Don't get too used to it."

After Barbra Jean left with the kids, Cheyenne left for school and Van left for work. Reba was left in the house alone with Brock. He came into the kitchen where Reba was sitting down with a cup of coffee.

"You know that tea is better for your high blood pressure than coffee is."

"I know. I'm in need of some caffeine this morning. I felt like I haven't slept at all. I'm still so tired."

"You slept soundly most of the night. You didn't have any nightmares so I'm not sure why you would feel that way unless you were comin' down with something."

"If I were comin' down with something, would I be able to cancel our dinner on Friday night?"

"No, I would still bring you something special and spend the evening with you here. Honey, I would still expect to go out for a nice evening out like I planned as soon as you were feeling better. That might actually work out well for me. I'd get to have two dates with ya."

"Not on your life. One date is enough, thank you. I feel awkward enough about it as it is."

"It's so cute that you're nervous. You know we have been on a date before. That's how we started out buildin' this life that we have now. We happen to have kids together. We've even seen each other naked," Brock smirked.

"Don't remind me. Don't you have to be at work soon?"

"My first patient isn't until 11 o'clock this morning. I'm not goin' in until about ten thirty."

"Come on, Brock. I need some peace and quiet. I was lookin' forward to havin' the house to myself for a couple of hours."

"Don't mind me. I'll be in my room reading."

Reba sighed with acceptance. "Good luck with that. I'll be in my room with the door locked. I don't wanna be disturbed at all!" Reba fled the kitchen and ran up to seek the sanctuary that her bedroom usually provided. When she wasn't filled with calmer feelings, she decided to get on the computer. After a couple of games of poker, she was starting to feel slightly better. That's when she noticed that LovinCowboy84 had signed on.

**RamblinRedRose: **Hi. I'm glad that you're online. I was hoping to get to talk to you today. I still have the same problems only I've managed to make them worse.

**LovinCowboy84: **Well, I'm glad that I was able to be online to talk now. I have the morning off. I don't have to be at work until this afternoon. What's up?

**RamblinRedRose: **I always unload my problems on you. How are things going with you?

**LovinCowboy84: **I spent the weekend with my kids. I had a halfway decent conversation with my ex yesterday. We're trying to be friends. She was in a good mood so we were able to get some issues resolved. I was very surprised. It turns out that she's dating someone new so she's actually a lot happier.

**RamblinRedRose: **Don't blame yourself. One of my friends told me this morning that seeing other people helps to discover what you really want from a relationship after being in a bad marriage. The most surprising thing that happened since I last talked with you was that Mike finally got in touch with me. I finally got what I wanted, but it turns out that I didn't want it so much after all. I love Mike. I really do, but I don't know if we have the type of relationship that allows us to grow together in a life where we support one another, even if we disagree. The other problem is that I am worried that he may actually still be attracted to his ex-wife. That would explain why he seems ready to assume that I could be untrue to him.

He's been jealous the last six years over Brock for no reason at all. I haven't given him any reason to believe that I wouldn't put him first. You have to stay friends with exes when you have children and I've never given him any reason to think that I don't want him to be the man in my life. He was so romantic. He did everything that he knew would make me melt. It would've been so perfect if I hadn't screwed it up. I did the one thing that I said that I wouldn't do. I slept with someone else last night. I felt so incredibly guilty this morning after Mike did so many sweet things to apologize to me.

I ended up telling him that we should continue to date other people. I even asked Kim to take him out for dinner on Friday night as a test of his fidelity. I'm not even sure that I have the right to do that after what I've done. I guess you could say that I was under the influence when it happened so I wasn't making the best decisions. I had a one night stand and I never do that. I'm so confused. It happened with Brock. That's the bad part.

I keep sending him the wrong signals. I just want to be friends with him. I want him to work things out with his wife. I'm glad that I was able to find out that relaxing my own rules is sometimes okay, but I don't want to lose his friendship. I can't even talk to him without it getting weird. I hate that. We supposed to go out for dinner Friday night, but I'm not sure if I should go. How do I get things back to where they should be?

**LovinCowboy84: **We're back to the communication thing again. You've got to talk things out. You don't like to do that.

**RamblinRedRose: **I know. I've just been very negative with him since it happened. I'm just as much to blame as he is. He wasn't sure about letting things go so far and I'm the one who told him that I wanted it to happen. I really did. Just once, I wanted to do something and not worry about the consequences. The problem is that the consequences are always there.

I'm glad that I can talk to you. My sister says that I'm a lot less uptight since I've started talking to you. My sister was surprisingly supportive about it. Of course, she doesn't think that there's anything wrong with casual sex and I do. It carries a lot of guilty baggage with me. Lori Ann could do something like that and not worry about a thing. I just wonder why I can't be the same way.

**LovinCowboy84: **It's nice that you are the way that you are. Being old-fashioned isn't a crime. You have good morals and you've been able to raise your children with them. You've done one selfish thing for yourself. Don't worry about it so much. You broke up with your boyfriend in Oklahoma so it's not like you were cheating on him. You're not together right now so you are single and free to do what you want.

**RamblinRedRose: **Have you ever done anything like this yourself? Have you ever had a one-night stand? Tell me if I'm getting too personal here.

**LovinCowboy84: **Yes, I did. It was just once. I felt guilty afterwards, too. You have to accept the fact that it happen and move on. You have to leave the guilt behind. It doesn't stay away forever, but it does get easier. I'm not the type who sleeps around either. I've only been with two women. I know that it may seem shocking.

These are modern times and most people don't worry about the number of partners that they have, but I only made the one mistake. It was just a big drunken mistake. I've actually never wanted anyone since I got married. I knew that I loved her the minute that I met her. It took us a long time to get together. I didn't want anyone else, even when we weren't a couple. I waited to be with her.

**RamblinRedRose: **You sound like you still have feelings for her. I've seen too many people break up their marriages over silly things. You have to fight when you love someone. Have you tried to let her know how you feel?

**LovinCowboy84:** Sure, I've tried. She just doesn't seem to want me. She thinks that she'd be better off with someone else. I'm trying to be selfless enough to let her go out and find what she needs to make her happy. Even I know that my kids will be happier if their mother is happier.

**RamblinRedRose: **Your kids need a happy father, too. I'm sorry if it doesn't work out for you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to. Divorce is hard. Sometimes it's easier to talk with someone who's been through the same situation because they are the only ones who know how you feel and understand what you're going through. It's going to be okay. Just take things one day at a time. If you do that, you'd be surprised how much easier it gets to be.

**LovinCowboy84: **I will. Take your own advice. Take baby steps to get over your guilt. Try to enjoy your dinner on Friday night. I need to go get ready for work now. It was nice talking to you again. I can't wait to talk to you this weekend after Romancing the Stone. I can't wait to talk to you about it. It'll give us a chance to talk about something fun. Thanks for everything. I've been having a tough time, too. It's been nice having you to talk to. See you later.

**RamblinRedRose: **Thanks for lending me your ear, too. It really helps me to have you to talk to. Bye.

Reba ended the conversation and got off her computer. Brock was right. Reading seemed like a good way to pass the time right now. She vowed to take things a time for awhile. She felt the guilt still swirling within her. She took a deep breath and grabbed a book from her nightstand. She didn't want to think about anything big right now. She still had five days or so left until the dinner with Brock. That was plenty of time to get comfortable with the idea. She wondered what Brock had planned for Friday….

What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean have a nice date with Eugene Fisher? Was Reba's morning with Brock more than just an encounter? Will she talk with Brock about their encounter? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

**Working Class is not on CMT on Friday nights anymore. The first twelve episodes of Season one have already aired. If you want to see any episodes that you have missed, you can still watch them on the CMT website. ****Working Class was canceled by CMT on Monday. It is being shopped around to other networks, including TV Land. I'm so sad to find out that Working Class was canceled by CMT!**

**Please sign the petition for TV Land to pick up Working Class for season two at: .org/petitions/we-want-a-season-2-of-the-hilarious-sitcom-working-class.**

**Sometimes the url's get messed up when a story is posted on FF so here is the address:**

**http: / www. Change .org/ petitions / we-want-a-season-2-of-the-hilarious-sitcom-working-class. Just type it in without the spaces.**

**Please let TV Land know that you want them to keep Working Class on the air for another season!**

_I've got a game for you to try. The original game is called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but you can play it with Reba McEntire also._

_Six degrees of Reba McEntire_

_I can link Paul Newman to Reba McEntire in six steps:_

_Paul Newman worked on the movie, Nobody's Fool with Melanie Griffith _

_Melanie Griffith worked on the movie, Bonfire of the Vanities with Bruce Willis_

_Bruce Willis worked on the TV series, Moonlighting with Cybill Shepherd_

_Cybill Shepherd worked on the TV series, Cybill with Tom Wopat_

_Tom Wopat worked on the TV series, Dukes of Hazzard with John Schneider_

_John Schneider worked on the TV series, Working Class with Reba McEntire_

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

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	28. Reba's date with Brock

_Dear Readers-_  
_I hope that all of you had a Happy Easter! I'm sorry that this chapter is being posted so late! This weekend was rough on me. My daughter was in the hospital and my computer has been on its last legs for awhile now. It finally died with my story chapters in it, including this week's chapter. I have a new computer now and I have to type up chapter 28 again from scratch so it may be a little shorter than what readers are used to._

_I'm still grieving the end of One Life to Live, especially since it happened just three days after the cancellation of Working Class. Reba appeared as herself for two days on the show. She also got to sing "Is There Life Out There" on the show. I hope that Reba gets to be on One Life to Live one last time before it gets canceled. When will Saturday Night Live get Reba to host their show? There needs to be petitions for this. That would be so great. Reba would be an awesome host on SNL!_

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! My birthday is in a week, May 3__rd__. It would be great to have plenty of feedback by then. It would be such a nice gift. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- **LovinCowboy84: **I will. Take your own advice. Take baby steps to get over your guilt. Try to enjoy your dinner on Friday night. I need to go get ready for work now. It was nice talking to you again. I can't wait to talk to you this weekend after Romancing the Stone. I can't wait to talk to you about it. It'll give us a chance to talk about something fun. Thanks for everything. I've been having a tough time, too. It's been nice having you to talk to. See you later.

**RamblinRedRose: **Thanks for lending me your ear, too. It really helps me to have you to talk to. Bye.

Reba ended the conversation and got off her computer. Brock was right earlier that morning. Reading seemed like a good way to pass the time right now. She vowed to take things one day at a time for awhile like LovinCowboy84 said. She felt the guilt still swirling within her. She took a deep breath and grabbed a book from her nightstand. She didn't want to think about anything big right now. She still had five days or so left until the dinner with Brock. That was plenty of time to get comfortable with the idea. She wondered what Brock had planned for Friday….

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 27 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with Reba dealing with her guilt. She gave in again to her feelings for Brock with a deep kiss. She struggled with giving in to the kiss when she should be pushing Brock away. Brock tries to explain his situation in order to calm Reba down, but she refuses to listen. He wants to relieve her guilt because they are able to be together. She doesn't know that yet. Even if she did, she would still try to get him to work things out with Barbra Jean. **

**Reba is finding out that she still has some residual hostility towards Barbra Jean for breaking up her marriage in the first place. Brock tells Reba how much he needs and wants her in his life. Barbra Jean tells Reba that it's okay if Brock takes Reba out on Friday night. Barbra Jean also has a date on Friday night with Eugene Fisher. Reba still feels tired and thinks of an excuse for getting out of the date with Brock. Brock tells her that he will spend Friday night with her, even if they have to stay at home. Brock also tells Reba that if they can't go out on Friday night that she still has to go out with him another time. **

**Reba got online to talk to LovinCowboy84. She talks to him about her feelings for Mike and Brock. He urges her to communicate her feelings more. He lets her know that he understands her problems. She lets him know that she is there for him whenever he needs to talk to someone because she knows what he's going through. ****She didn't want to think about anything big just then. She still had five days or so left until the dinner with Brock. **

**That was plenty of time to get comfortable with the idea. She wondered what Brock had planned for Friday. What will happen to Reba and Brock on Friday's date? Will Barbra Jean have a nice date with Eugene Fisher? Was Reba's morning with Brock more than just an encounter? Will she talk with Brock about their encounter?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's date with Brock. He has arranged for a romantic dinner, dancing, and karaoke. They will watch Romancing the Stone and the evening will continue from there._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba went back and forth in her mind all week long about whether or not to go out on Friday with Brock. Part of her wanted to draw the boundaries that they both clearly needed right away, before they started down a road that Reba knew that she would regret. The other part of her was curious about what Brock had planned. Didn't she have enough self-control to go out for a birthday dinner with Brock without anything inappropriate happening between them? They had been in a nice, comfortable friendship for almost six years now. Nothing had happened to cross the line until recently, with the exception of the night of Terry's funeral. If she had enough control that night, then she had enough control tonight.

Who was she kidding? The only reason that she had self-control that night was because she had Mike. At that time, Brock was with Barbra Jean and she was trying to reunite with Mike. Things were clearly defined. He was married and off-limits. The hurt and feelings of loss were still fresh. She lost her marriage, her identity, her child, and everything that was important in her life because of Brock and his selfishness. That was enough to keep her in control then.

Over time, she'd gone over the what-might-have-beens hundreds of times in the scenario of her relationship with Mike. Now the what-might-have-beens were swirling around in her head about Brock. You'd think after six years that she'd be over that type of wishful thinking. Every night this week, she talked online with LovinCowboy84 about her anxiety, thoughts, and feelings. He encouraged her to explore her thoughts and really understand where they were coming from. He encouraged her to let go of her anxiety and face her fears. She deserved to have some peace in her life. She didn't want to go on with these thoughts haunting her forever.

Friday seemed to arrive faster than Reba had expected. This date was not something that she could put off anymore. She looked in the full length mirror in her bedroom. She was trying to pick out an outfit. Reba went downstairs to make herself a cup of chamomile tea to sooth her nerves. She'd never been this nervous before a date before. Of course, she'd hardly had much dating experience in the last six years since the divorce.

In fact, she hadn't had much dating experience before the divorce either. She hadn't dated much before she married Brock. Once she'd set her sights on Mike Holliway, she didn't want to date anyone else. Brock just swooped in at a time when she was alone and vulnerable. How she ended up being attracted to such a vain, egotistical man was beyond her comprehension! They say that opposites attract. For once, she wanted to be attracted to a man who wasn't her complete opposite. Jack Morgan fooled her with his sensitive front. Under that exterior was a man who was after only one thing and he used his looks to get it.

Finally, she thought of the perfect solution to calm her nerves. Reba didn't waste a minute in stripping off her clothes while the tub filled with steamy water. She dumped a half a bottle of perfumed bath salts into the tub. Reba spent forty-five minutes luxuriating in the water, soaping, rinsing, and shampooing, and when she emerged from the tub she felt like a new person. As she towel-dried her hair, she glanced into the closet. That was when she saw the dress. It was the most extravagant thing she allowed herself to purchase lately. Her usual wardrobe consisted of casual clothing like jeans and blouses.

It was an Indian/Gypsy dress that was similar to one that she'd seen in a couple of romantic movies. The square-cut, strapless bodice was made of lavender silk and the three tiered skirt was fashioned of row upon row of different bands of silk ranging in color from lavender to mauve to palest pink. A huge black chiffon rose with lavender and gold center was nestled at the waist. She also had a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals to match the dress. She held the dress in front of her as she stood in front of her full length mirror. She felt desirable, sensual, and even beautiful.

The thought that Brock would see her this way unnerved her. She bought the dress for her trip to Oklahoma. She'd wanted her anniversary dinner to turn out perfectly. That was far from what really happened. She pushed those unwanted memories from her mind, but a nagging question entered her mind. Why was she wearing such a thing to go out with Brock? As she put the final touches on her look for the evening, she gazed at the dress, her damp, curling hair, and the spellbound smile on her life. For the first time in awhile, all she wanted was to think of tonight as special.

Brock was also preparing for the evening. He'd gone to the barber and gotten a shave and a haircut. It wasn't what he was used to. He usually went to a stylist, but tonight he was going for a more rugged look. He could've shaved at home, but he figured that covering his face in bandages with any possible nicks wouldn't be as attractive for Reba. He put on musk-scented cologne before he took one last look in the mirror. He inspected his new white shoes and the cuffs on his white sharkskin pants. He adjusted his blue-gray silk tie and buttoned the cuffs of his white cotton shirt. He tilted his head and smiled at the reflection of a very sharp-looking guy. It was worth every penny he'd spent.

He waited in his bedroom for the delivery from Breen's Florist. He wanted to see the look on her face when the delivery arrived. The whole order cost more than he'd ever spent on one flower arrangement in his life. He'd spent over a hundred dollars including the delivery charge. His mission for the evening was to impress Reba. The doorbell rang.

"Reba, could you get that? I'm still getting ready. None of the kids are here to answer the door."

Reba sighed disapprovingly. "How much of this evening would even be fun?" she wondered, "He can't even answer the door while I finish getting ready myself."

Reba slowly made her way downstairs in her new high heeled shoes. This was the first time that she'd worn them. As she opened the door, Brock made his way downstairs. Reba was surprised to see a delivery man at her front door. She was first handed a bouquet of balloons. The bouquet arrives with a sweet bear holding six latex balloons in pink and lavender that were tied together with a ribbon. A soft gasp escaped her as she was handed a large assortment of pastel and hot pink roses and peach toned spray roses. She went to tip the delivery man.

"No tip needed. The gentleman that ordered these already paid for the tip with the order."

"Thank you." Reba went to shut the door after the delivery man left. Brock stood there unnoticed while Reba sat the bouquet down on a small table next to the front door. She picked up the card and read it aloud. "For every birthday and anniversary that I ever got wrong. Love, Brock."

"I meant that you know." The warmth of Brock's smile echoed in his voice.

She turned with a start at the sound of his voice. He walked forward, stopping in front of her. She remained absolutely motionless for a moment. Her eyebrows rose in amazement. Nervously, she moistened her dry lips. He strolled forward and extended a hand. She met the smile and the hand that was offered. His smile sent her pulse racing.

Her smile was eager and alive with affection and delight. There was a depth to her smile that had been missing for too long. Her eyes brightened with pleasure. He felt as if he had been transported back to the first time that they met. Her alabaster face had a musk-rose flush on her cheekbones. He drank in the sight of her. Her bright copper hair gleamed with shadows of rich red, which hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders. Wispy bangs fell across her forehead.

He was momentarily speechless as he looked at her gentle, overwhelming beauty. While Brock held his gaze on Reba, Reba couldn't help but take in the sight of Brock. There was a glint of humor in his eyes. Reba saw something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify. He stood there, devilishly handsome. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique. His smile was wide, his teeth strikingly white in his tanned face. He had thick goldenrod hair. She took in the tantalizing smell of his cologne. Lightly, he fingered a loose tendril of hair on her cheek.

"They're lovely. Thank you, Brock." Reba said softly.

They heard the sound of a car pulling up in front of the house. "That is my other surprise for you." Brock whispered. He walked to the front door and opened it slowly. Reba's eyes widened when she saw the shiny limousine parked in front of their house.

"What is that for? Are we going to the prom?" Reba quipped.

Brock smiled mischievously. "We just might, my dear."

"Well, I just need to go upstairs and get my purse so we can go."

Reba rushed upstairs as fast as she could in her new high heels. She grabbed her purse, added some lipstick with some shiny gloss over her lips, and added some of her special floral perfume. Brock watched as Reba approached the top of the stairs again, gliding as she walked gracefully down each stair. She stopped in front of him. He offered her his arm. She linked her arm in his and they walked arm in arm to the limousine waiting outside.

Reba forgot her nerves as they walked. She vowed to enjoy the evening without anxiety or guilt. Brock opened the limo door for her. She took a deep breath before getting inside. She didn't want to think about anything else right now, other than living in the moment. She felt surprisingly comfortable. She was impressed by Brock's display of extravagance with the bouquet and the limousine. She wondered what the evening would hold for them...

What will happen to Reba and Brock on their date? Will Barbra Jean have a nice date with Eugene Fisher? What else does the evening hold for Reba and Brock? What will Brock and Reba talk about during their date? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

**Working Class is not on CMT on Friday nights anymore. The first twelve episodes of Season one have already aired. If you want to see any episodes that you have missed, you can still watch them on the CMT website. ****Working Class was canceled by CMT on Monday. It is being shopped around to other networks, including TV Land. I'm so sad to find out that Working Class was canceled by CMT!**

**Please sign the petition for TV Land to pick up Working Class for season two at: .org/petitions/we-want-a-season-2-of-the-hilarious-sitcom-working-class.**

**Sometimes the url's get messed up when a story is posted on FF so here is the address:**

**http: / www. Change .org/ petitions / we-want-a-season-2-of-the-hilarious-sitcom-working-class. Just type it in without the spaces.**

**Please let TV Land know that you want them to keep Working Class on the air for another season!**

_Here are the YouTube links for Reba on One Life to Live. The first one is from A Daytime to Remember where Reba talks about waiting to come back on One Life to Live._

_Link 1: http:/ www .youtube. com/watch?v=1B1Y-a7gRbk- just type it in without the spaces._

_.com/watch?v=1B1Y-a7gRbk - direct link- not printable on FF_

_Link 2: http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=NlWLdGA-3ug-just type it in without the spaces._

_.com/watch?v=NlWLdGA-3ug – direct link- not printable on FF_

_The first time that I actually got to see Reba McEntire sing was when she appeared on One Life to Live. "Is There Life Out There" is my favorite Reba song._

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**  
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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	29. Dinner and dancing

_Dear Readers-_

_This week's chapter is dedicated to a couple of fan fiction writers who tried to post their stories yesterday and got flamed. I'm so sorry that happened to both of you. You have my full support as a reader. I will continue to read and review your stories. Some people just can't live by the Golden Rule: If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all. That was the first thing I learned as a kid. _

_Please don't let that get you down or stop you from writing. If fan fiction authors stopped writing due to flaming, then Reba stories would no longer exist. This is the only way that we can keep these characters going now. May the Hart family live on in fan fiction forever! I hate the CW for taking this wonderful show off the air._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Today is my birthday! It would be great to have plenty of feedback. It would be such a nice gift. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- He was momentarily speechless as he looked at her gentle, overwhelming beauty. While Brock held his gaze on Reba, Reba couldn't help but take in the sight of Brock. There was a glint of humor in his eyes. Reba saw something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify. He stood there, devilishly handsome. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique. His smile was wide, his teeth strikingly white in his tanned face. He had thick goldenrod hair. She took in the tantalizing smell of his cologne. Lightly, he fingered a loose tendril of hair on her cheek.

"They're lovely. Thank you, Brock." Reba said softly.

They heard the sound of a car pulling up in front of the house. "That is my other surprise for you." Brock whispered. He walked to the front door and opened it slowly. Reba's eyes widened when she saw the shiny limousine parked in front of their house.

"What is that for? Are we going to the prom?" Reba quipped.

Brock smiled mischievously. "We just might, my dear."

"Well, I just need to go upstairs and get my purse so we can go."

Reba rushed upstairs as fast as she could in her new high heeled sandals. She grabbed her purse, added some lipstick with some shiny gloss over her lips, and added some of her special floral perfume. Brock watched as Reba approached the top of the stairs again, gliding as she walked gracefully down each stair. She stopped in front of him. He offered her his arm. She linked her arm in his and they walked arm in arm to the limousine waiting outside.

Reba forgot her nerves as they walked. She vowed to enjoy the evening without anxiety or guilt. Brock opened the limo door for her. She took a deep breath before getting inside. She didn't want to think about anything else right now, other than living in the moment. She felt surprisingly comfortable. She was impressed by Brock's display of extravagance with the bouquet and the limousine. She wondered what the evening would hold for them...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 28 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with Reba and Brock getting ready to go on their date. Reba was still struggling with her anxiety over the date. She thought about why she and Brock hadn't crossed the line before in the last six years. She put those feelings aside for a cup of tea and a bath to calm her swirling nerves. She thought about the kind of man that she wanted to be with. Reba chose a special dress for her date with Brock. **

**It was a dress that she'd bought for her anniversary dinner with Mike. She questioned why she seemed drawn to wearing that particular dress for an evening out with Brock. Brock prepared for the evening freshly groomed with new clothes also. He bought an expensive floral arrangement of pink and peach roses complete with pink and lavender balloons and a teddy bear. He secretly stood behind Reba as she answered the door just to see her reaction. When she read the card with a special message from Brock, he revealed how sincere he was. **

**They shared a smile. Reba and Brock stood there holding each other's hand and staring into each other's eyes as Brock's other surprise pulled into the driveway. Brock ordered a limousine for the evening. Reba was clearly impressed that Brock pulled out all the stops for her because he was usually a very cheap man. They walked arm and arm to the limousine and Brock was displaying his best manners. Reba decided to enjoy herself and live in the moment that evening.**

**What will happen to Reba and Brock on their date? Will Barbra Jean have a nice date with Eugene Fisher? What else does the evening hold for Reba and Brock? What will Brock and Reba talk about during their date? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's date with Brock. He has arranged for a romantic dinner, dancing, and karaoke. They will watch Romancing the Stone and the evening will continue from there._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Brock whistled to himself as he shut the limousine door after Reba got inside. He quickly dashed over to the other side and entered the limousine through that door. He'd had a great time spending his money on the flowers, balloons, and limousine for Reba, and the night had just begun. He decided that it wouldn't matter how much he spent tonight because it was worth it just to be able to be on this date with Reba. He owed her so much already. He had twenty-two years of birthdays and anniversaries to make up for. Why did he take so much for granted?

He had a beautiful wife and wonderful kids that he didn't take care of like he should have. When did he stop thinking of being lucky just to end up with Reba? Maybe he had Mike to thank for helping him to see the light. It took so much hard work to get Reba to even notice him. She didn't want anyone else, but Mike in the beginning. He hung around Mike when he was with Reba, just to get to know her and to get her to notice him. The only time that she noticed him was when she was mad at him. That's when he started to bug her just to see her reaction.

Most of the time, she ignored him or pretended like he wasn't even there. Twenty-eight years later, it was the best way to get her attention. That was starting to lose its appeal. He didn't want her to be mad at him anymore. He wanted her to look at him with that look in her eyes, the look that she had in her eyes on Monday morning. That look was full of the same passion and desire that she'd given him before in their relationship when things were good. He wanted to show her that he was a changed man and that he deserved a second chance. Reba was never big on second chances with him.

When he screwed up, it took a lot of work for him to get her to forgive him. He really deserved to be in the doghouse with Reba now. After what he'd done over the past six years, it was going to take a lifetime to make it up to her. Would she give him the opportunity to try? She looked so beautiful tonight. She was clearly dressed for a date, even though she'd insisted that it was just a friendly dinner. He'd hoped that she didn't dress this way for all of her friendly dinners with co-workers and such. He was hoping that this evening would be just as special to her as it was to him.

He was worried that she thought that he was only after her body. Getting to make love to her again was just a bonus. He was after something more precious than that, her heart. He wanted to capture the heart of Reba Nell McKinney Hart for the second time. He wondered why it took him so long to realize that he'd been a fool. He'd been a fool since he'd gotten separated from Barbra Jean the first time. He'd known that it was a mistake to leave Reba and marry Barbra Jean. He'd known that he still loved her as soon as Dr. Baker asked them if they still loved each other.

Man, he would've loved to have heard her response, but feared that she would've replied with a no. Who leaves a soul mate because of an argument over a toaster? Each time he fought with Barbra Jean, he let Reba take over patching things up between them. He would not give in to Reba's ploys this time. He would get her to 'fess up and face whatever they had between them. It was funny to think that Reba was hiding behind Barbra Jean out of fear. It was her biggest way to function and not allow herself to feel anything for Brock. Reba always had an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder. Brock wanted to give that angel on Reba's shoulder the night off.

A night like this was something that Reba had fantasized about for years. It was like something out of a romantic novel or movie. She'd never had a date like this before. Here was Brock pulling out all the stops just to go out with her. Why? Brock was the cheapest man alive. It was like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Here was a man who looked like Brock and sounded like Brock, but he didn't act anything like the Brock Hart that she knew. She loved seeing the look in Brock's eyes as she descended down the stairs just before they left the house.

Brock was mesmerized by the figure beside him. He was glad that she'd let her hair curl naturally and fall around her shoulders the way he like it. He was compelled to reach out and feel a long curl. Her gentle blue eyes still a touch of innocence he was always unable to resist. The devil on her shoulder was winning. He could tell by the looks that she was giving him, but she was shy and self-conscious. He didn't know why.

Finally, they had arrived at Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant. Brock opened the doors again for Reba. When they were out of the limousine, Brock offered his hand to Reba. She took it graciously and they walked into the restaurant, holding hands. Brock and Reba were seated immediately. Reba went to powder her nose while the maitre-d talked to Brock.

_Note to readers: I thought that it would be nice if Brock took Reba to an Italian restaurant where they actually spoke some Italian to customers. Translation: Hello sir. How are you tonight? (bellissima=beautiful)._

"Ciao signore. Come seistasera? Your wife is bellissima. Is tonight a special occasion?"

"Yes, she is. I'm very lucky. We're celebrating her birthday tonight."

"We could come out with a cake and sing to her, if you'd like."

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"I'll let your waiter know."

Brock smiled and nodded. Reba returned and a waiter showed the couple to their table. They sat across from each other at a round, linen-covered table for two. A single candle flickered while Brock took a white thornless rose out of the vase and placed it in Reba's hair. Soft romantic music filled the air. Brock sipped champagne out of a thin crystal flute and gazed into Reba's eyes, probing into her thoughts as she sat silently.

The meal began with two chicken and apple salads. The salads were made with grilled chicken and Granny Smith apples with Iceberg lettuce, arugula, grapes, celery, chives and walnuts. It was served with bleu cheese vinaigrette. There wasn't much conversation between the two until they were talking about what to order for the appetizer and entrees.

"What do you want for an appetizer? How about stuffed mushrooms?"

"What are you gonna get?"

"I thought that I would share with you. We've already had salad and I'd like to save room for the meal."

"Really? Because I thought that you were too cheap to order yourself a separate appetizer, Brock." Reba quipped.

"Makin' the cheap comments again. How clever you are."

"Do you really even like stuffed mushrooms? They're stuffed with spinach."

"Yes, actually I do. I've eaten spinach. I do eat healthy, you know."

"When someone forces you to."

"Try takin' me at face value, Reba. Maybe there are still some things that we don't know about each other and we could spend the evening talkin' about that."

"Fair enough, Brock. What is it that I don't know about ya besides the fact that you eat spinach?"

"I'm not as cheap as you think. I spent over a hundred dollars on the flowers and balloons from Breen's. Did you know that is Dom Perignon Champagne that you're drinking?"

Reba was so shocked at what Brock said that she spit her drink out at Brock. Brock sat there wiping the liquid off his face while Reba struggled to conceal a laugh.

"That's just great, Reba. You laugh while I wipe off the champagne that you spit on me."

"I'm sorry, but you shoulda seen the look on your face."

"Well you shoulda seen the look on your face when I told ya how much the flowers cost and what we were drinking."

"Point taken. I'm just so surprised that you went to all this trouble."

"I told ya that I'm makin' up for every birthday and anniversary that I ever got wrong."

Reba put her hand over his and lightly patted it. "Thank you. It means a lot. Of course, it's not as great as a trip to Italy, but it's a start." she joked.

"Do you want me to take ya to Italy, Reba?"

"I was just kiddin', Brock. I honestly do appreciate your efforts tonight. I'm just wondering when you're gonna turn back into a frog."

Brock pretended to look offended. Reba smiled and then commented again in a more serious tone.

"You're really layin' on the charm with this Prince Charming routine that you've got goin' here, but I'm just wondering how long it will last. When will I be face to face with the real Brock Hart again?"

"Frogs get to stay princes when they get kissed."

Reba made a face at that remark. Brock gently patted her hand reassuringly.

"That was just a joke, I swear. I'm not asking for anything more than the pleasure of your company tonight. Look, I'm just tryin' to show you that I've changed. I'm not the man that I once was. That Brock Hart that you dislike so much is long gone. This is the only Brock that you'll see now."

"I'll believe it when I see it. I'd like to see how long this routine of yours lasts, Brock."

"Forever."

"Really? That other Brock was a very lousy husband. And here you are out with another woman tonight."

"We're separated and she happens to be out on a date with another man tonight."

"I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I'm sorry that you're havin' such a hard time with your marriage."

"That's life. The most important thing is how you learn to deal with life's challenges."

"That's very profound coming from you, Brock."

"I keep tellin' ya that I'm a complicated man. There's more to me than meets the eye. I know there's more to you than meets the eye."

"Nope. I've known ya for twenty-eight years now. My life is an open book. What you see is what you get."

"I bet that it would make for interestin' reading."

"What would?"

"The story of your life."

Reba tried to laugh off that last comment. "If my life was made into a book, it would be called I'm a Survivor."

"Fair enough. It would still make for interesting reading."

"Well, that's all because of you."

"I'd like to think that we've had some good times in those twenty-eight years."

"Yes, of course. We have three wonderful children together."

"And Elizabeth."

At the thought of their sweet little granddaughter, Reba smiled.

"I'd like to make a toast. To our wonderful family." Reba said.

"I'll drink to that. And to the wonderful woman who gave me such a great family." Brock lifted Reba's hand, lightly pressing his lips to it before setting it back down.

"Thank you, Brock. That's sweet. You're just pouring on the charm. I know how you are, but I'm not fallin' for the bull that you're shovelin'."

"I'm offended, Reba. I'm really bein' sincere, honey."

"We'll see, Brock. We'll see."

Brock seemed very pleased with himself. Reba was usually only this defensive when she was uncomfortable with her feelings. "So what do you want to order for an entrée?"

They exchanged a smile. Reba ordered Chicken Marsala. The entrée consisted of chicken breasts, lightly floured and sautéed with mushrooms, onions and Marsala sauce with angel hair aglio olio, which was Angel Hair pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil. Brock ordered the Prime New York Steak. The entrée consisted of a 16 oz. prime aged center-cut New York strip, marinated in herbs and garlic, broiled with garlic butter and topped with crispy onion strings. It was served with crispy red potatoes. He also ordered a side of Spaghetti Marinara, which was spaghetti served with a classic blend of tomatoes, basil, oregano and olive oil.

Reba wanted some of Brock's entrée and Brock wanted some of Reba's entrée so they got extra plates to share half of each entrée and side dish between them. The conversation flowed pleasantly throughout the meal. Reba was constantly smiling. Then she decided to make a bold suggestion.

"How about we order a cocktail? We've already been drinking champagne and we don't have to worry about driving home tonight."

"We're already having drinks at the club, but I don't see why not. You're the boss tonight."

"How about a Primo Margarita? I've heard that they're really good here."

"You do know what's in that, right? You want to drink somethin' like that with me."

"Yeah, sure. We're friends. Lori Ann is my best friend. I go out with her and drink. So, why not? We're celebrating, so let's have some fun."

"If you're sure, then okay. Like I said, you're the boss tonight."

"So you have to do whatever I say?"

"Your wish is my command."

"I could make you very sorry that you said that." Reba loved the gentle sparring as much as Brock did.

"That's a risk that I'll have to take." The teasing laughter was back in his eyes. Seeing the amusement in his eyes, she laughed.

Brock ordered two Primo Margaritas. They finished their entrees and Brock signaled to the waiter for Reba's surprise. The wait staff came to the table with a chocolate cake for Reba. They sang Happy Birthday to her. Reba felt a warm glow flow through her. This was one of the best birthday celebrations that she'd ever had. She found herself staring at him during dessert.

"You've got to stop doing that." Brock remarked.

"What?"

"Making those sounds as you eat this cake."

Reba laughed. "What's the matter, Brock?"

"It drives me crazy when you made those noises."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, you know what you're doing. You're making those sexy noises while you enjoy eating that cake. Those are the same little noises that you make..."

Reba held her hand up. "I get it, Brock. Too bad! I'm gonna make any noises that I want. I'm the boss tonight." She responded teasingly with a slight smile of defiance.

"If you don't stop, I'll remind ya of the last time that you made those same little noises on Monday morning." His florid, self-satisfied face mocked her.

Reba rolled her eyes. She was irritated at the thrilling current moving through her. "You're just a typical guy. Men are always reminded of sex. It's not my fault if you're thinking of that while I'm just sittin' here, mindin' my own business."

For some reason, he found her displeasure amusing. "Oh, yeah! You're just Little Miss Innocent, aren't ya? Mrs. Hart, you are inviting trouble with the way that you're lookin' at me and makin' those noises. Are you tryin' to flirt with me?" Brock noted in a casual, jesting way.

"Sure, Brock. Like I'd really flirt with ya. I'm not interested in ya that way." Reba flashed him a look of disdain.

"You were interested enough on Monday morning."

Reba was glad of the semidarkness that hid the flush in her cheeks. "That was an isolated incident brought on by parasomnia and stress."

"You have parasomnia all the time. Are you still stressed out?" Brock's fingers were soft and warm as he grasped Reba's.

"Not at all. I feel so good right now. I feel even better than I felt on Monday morning. Thank you, Brock. I'm actually having fun." Reba's optimistic nature had always made her believe that romance was possible, but she had to wonder if it was possible for Brock to suddenly develop a romantic side.

"Honey, you look like you're having fun too. I'm glad that I got ya to come out with me tonight."

"I'm glad that you invited me out tonight, too. Do you wanna get to our next place?"

"You don't wanna get some coffee first?"

"Nah, I just wanna sing and dance. You promised, remember?"

"Okay, then let's be on our way. I definitely wanna see you on that stage as soon as I can."

Brock took Reba's hand. They walked to the limousine, holding hands. The next destination was Drink Houston. This was a place with five nightclubs in one. Their first stop inside was at Center Stage Karaoke. Reba was very nervous.

"I'm so nervous. I haven't been on a stage in years. I'm not sure about this."

"You'll do great. Why don't we have a drink? I'll get on stage and sing first. You can go on after me."

"Really? You'll go on before me?"

"Absolutely. I'm not worried at all. You'll look great after I go on and make a fool of myself."

Reba laughed and put her hand gently against on Brock's chest for a minute. "When you put it like that, what do I have to lose?"

Brock went to get a beer for himself and a Pink Squirrel for Reba.

"Don't worry. You do great up there, too. I remember that you can sing if you want to," Reba commented. She kissed his cheek. "Just for luck. Get up there and sing something great."

Brock stepped up to the stage to sing.

**There's a place in your heart where nobody's been.  
Take me there.  
Things nobody knows, not even your friends.  
Take me there.  
Tell me about your momma, your daddy, your home town, show me around.  
I wanna see it all, don't leave anything out.**

I wanna know, everything about you.  
And I wanna go, down every road you've been.  
Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid.  
I wanna know the girl behind that pretty stare.  
Take me there.

Your first real kiss, your first true love, you were scared.  
Show me where.  
You learned about life, spent your summer nights, without a care.  
Take me there.  
I wanna roll down Main Street and back roads like you did when you were a kid.  
What makes you who you are, tell me what your story is.

I wanna know, everything about you.  
And I wanna go, down every road you've been.  
Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid.  
I wanna know the girl behind that pretty stare.  
Take me there.

**I wanna know, everything about you.  
And I wanna go, down every road you've been.  
Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid.  
I wanna know the girl behind that pretty stare.  
Take me there.**

I wanna roll down Main Street.  
I wanna know your hopes and your dreams.  
Take me, take me there.  
Yeah.

"That was wonderful, Brock. Really great." Reba hugged Brock out of excitement. "I'd forgotten how great your voice really is."

Brock kissed Reba's cheek. "Thanks honey. It's your turn now. Get up there."

**Another morning, another day in your life  
Without someone there by you  
You had a dream again last night  
You wonder why the dream just won't come true**

So what ya gonna do  
Walk around with your head hung down  
Maybe that's the reason you've never found  
The one for you  
So you've got to let your love shine through

Your eyes, your smile  
You've got to let somebody know how you feel inside  
Your heart, you'll find  
Somebody wants to be a part of your life

And if you just believe  
And say that's what you're gonna do  
One day love will find its way to you  
Yes it will  
One day love will find its way to you

Another party, and all your friends are smiles  
Oh you might meet someone new  
And being close would be so nice  
In this life the chances are so few

So what ya gonna do  
Walk around with your head hung down  
Maybe that's the reason you've never found  
The one for you  
So you've got to let your love shine through

Your eyes, your smile  
You've got to let somebody know how you feel inside  
Your heart, you'll find  
Somebody wants to be a part of your life

And if you just believe  
And say that's what you're gonna do  
One day love will find its way to you  
Oh yes it will  
One day love will find its way to you

Don't you think you're the only one  
Oh somewhere in the world  
There's a lonely heart looking for someone

You've got to let your love shine through  
Your eyes, your smile  
You've got to let somebody know how you feel inside  
Your heart, you'll find  
Somebody wants to be a part of your life

Cause your eyes, your smile  
You've got to let somebody know how you feel inside  
Somebody wants to be a part of your life

"Reba honey, that was great. I want you to know that I can always see what's in your heart through your amazing eyes and smile. I'll always want to be a part of your life."

"And you will find happiness one day. You and Barbra Jean will work things out and I'll get to see you be happy. I know that you've been in pain. Your heart will recover from this."

"Unfortunately, I know that the reason why you understand my problems. I put your heart through this type of thing. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never want to see pain in those lovely eyes again. I think I'm gonna get back up there and sing again."

"I didn't mean to bring you down. Let's go back to having fun. Now get back up that and sing for me." Reba said cheerfully. She went to kiss his cheek again, but he moved and her lips landed on his lips. Her lips lingered there for a couple of minutes before she pulled away.

"Sure thing, honey. This one is for you."

**If I lived and breathed before you loved me  
I don't recall  
If I walked around at all, it was in bits and pieces  
Of a jagged heart**

You kissed me, and every  
Piece went back in place  
Every pain got erased  
You held me up to the sunlight

Now it feels like

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

When I see you smile  
Feel my soul again  
And I'm unbroken..

If I doubted the power of love, baby now I'll  
Understand  
I thank God for every day I wake up to the soft touch  
Of your magic hands

In this world sometimes, the  
Only thing that's real  
Is the way you make me feel  
Babe, the change is day and night

I swear it's like

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

When I see you smile  
Feel my soul again  
And I'm unbroken..

I still see the night  
I fell into your eyes  
And when we made love  
It had felt like the first time!

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

When I see you smile  
Feel my soul again  
And I'm unbroken..

Heyy yeahh...

I'm unbroken!

Ohh... heyy yeahh...

I'm unbroken!

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

No one ever left  
Me out in the rain  
Cold words still remain  
Unspoken

And I never got lost  
Spent years in the dark  
You're here, now my heart's  
Unbroken

"That was really nice, Brock. I'll go next. After that, we should go dancing. I'm gonna get another drink before it's my turn to sing again." Reba walked away before Brock could say anything else. She downed a shot and then got up to sing.

**She married when she was twenty  
She thought she was ready  
Now she's not so sure  
She thought she'd done some living  
But now she's just wonderin'  
What she's living for  
Now she's feeling that there's something more**

Is there life out there  
So much she hasn't done  
Is there life beyond  
Her family and her home  
She's done what she should  
Should she do what she dares  
She doesn't want to leave  
She's just wonderin'  
Is there life out there

She's always lived for tomorrow  
She's never learned how  
To live for today  
She's dyin' to try something foolish  
Do something crazy  
Or just get away  
Something for herself for a change

Is there life out there  
So much she hasn't done  
Is there life beyond  
Her family and her home  
She's done what she should  
Should she do what she dares  
She doesn't want to leave  
She's just wonderin'  
Is there life out there

There's a place in the sun that she's never been  
Where life is fair and time is a friend  
Would she do it the same as she did back then  
She looks out the window and wonders again

Is there life out there  
So much she hasn't done  
Is there life beyond  
Her family and her home  
She's done what she should  
Should she do what she dares  
She doesn't want to leave  
She's just wonderin'  
Is there life out there

Is there life out there  
So much she hasn't done  
Is there life beyond  
Her family and her home  
She's done what she should  
Should she do what she dares  
She doesn't want to leave  
She's just wonderin'  
Is there life out there

When Reba was finished singing, everyone was clapping. Brock had a big wide smile. "You did so great. You always look so good up on a stage. You're amazing! You sound like an angel." Brock was trying to show Reba how proud he was of her. Reba felt very proud of herself, too. She hadn't sung anywhere else but Holliway's in her whole life. It was time to see what she could do to break out of her shell and really live like there's no tomorrow.

With that idea in mind, Reba led Brock into the next club, Rain Latin Lounge. A large band played dreamy Latin music that sent the dancers dipping and swaying around the dance floor. Brock noticed one particular couple whose bodies moved with a singular fluidity and grace. As they spun around, their bodies seemed to melt into one another. The crowd cheered and applauded them when the music stopped. That was how Brock wanted to dance with Reba. Reba was strangely flattered by Brock's sudden interest in her.

She could feel the sexual magnetism that made him so self-confident. Reba could see the open desire in Brock's eyes. She was almost embarrassed at how happy that made her. She wasn't sure if he could tell how much she wanted him. Such an attraction could be perilous for Reba. Brock was married to one of her best friends. She blushed at her own excitement. Reba only half listened to what Brock was saying as she struggled with her conscience.

Brock offered Reba his hand. "Reba Hart, may I have the honor?" When Reba looked at Brock the way she was now with her soul-piercing eyes, he felt a vital worthiness not only in her, but in himself. That was a feeling that he hadn't felt for a long time. Without using words or actions, Reba had sparked a revolution within Brock. He hated looking within himself, but he couldn't help it. Was he truly worthy of Reba? Despite his nagging thoughts, he felt a courage rise within him. He could be the man that Reba needed and wanted in her life.

The band broke into a hot calypso and distracted them both from their thoughts. Brock pulled her to the dance floor, put his arms around her, and pressed his body next to hers. With his hips he taught her the rhythmic movements of the calypso as his strong arms spun her away from him and then pulled her back. He held her closer and felt her long legs brush against his thighs and her arm tighten around his neck. When she buried her head in his shoulder and he smelled her floral perfume, he thought he never wanted the night to end. Reba had never danced to this type of music before. She found that she loved not only dancing but also the effect her swaying hips and surging movements had on Brock.

He was in the best of moods, enticing her to try new steps. The music downshifted to an exotically sensual melody and without coaxing, Reba placed both her arms around Brock's neck. Brock looked into her eyes and pulled her so close she felt as if they'd melted together. When his foot moved, her foot followed. When his hips dipped, so did Reba's and when he leaned her over almost in a backbend, his face was only inches from hers. The crowd applauded. Brock led Reba over to the bar for another drink.

Brock chugged his quickly and offered a shot to Reba. Reba eyed hers skeptically, then gave in to his urgings and gulped it down. Her eyes were watering and she dribbled the fiery liquor on her lips but she didn't care. Brock kissed her quickly on the mouth, tasting the liquor, and then took her in his arms. The rhythm picked up once again and more people moved onto the dance floor. The hot music was building into a crescendo. Arms over her head, fingers snapping and body gyrating, Reba danced as if possessed by a wild, untamed rhythm.

Her hair flew out in a long veil as she spun around. Brock's hands circled her waist and slid down the side of her hips and onto her thighs, and then he spun around, clapping his hands, and stamping his feet. They laughed and shouted along with the music as it grew louder and louder. Suddenly the music ended with a wild, final blast. Reba looked at Brock, who smiled, took her in his arms, and continued dancing while the band played on. During a brief intermission, Brock got a chance to look at his watch.

"Well, madam. We've stayed out past your self-imposed curfew. It's almost midnight. I'm sorry about missing your movie."

"Don't be. I set my DVR to record it, just in case. We can watch it tomorrow."

Brock was mindful of what Reba just said. She set the DVR to record the movie? He was relieved, but curious about what was going on in her head tonight. Could it be that she planned to stay out with Brock longer than agreed? Was she planning on having so much fun that she could forget about keeping time? "Do you want to keep dancing?"

"No. Let's get home before you turn back into a pumpkin."

Brock chuckled. "A pumpkin? I thought that I was a frog who turned into a prince."

Reba smiled. "The night's not over yet. I haven't decided what you are yet." Reba took Brock's hand and laced his fingers with her own. Brock led them out of the nightclub. They stood outside, waiting for their limousine to pull up to take them home. Standing in the middle of a warm rain shower, Brock cupped Reba's face in his hands and drew her to him. His lips were soft and cool and precious, she thought, as he placed three tiny kisses on her lips.

For a brief moment he gazed deeply into her eyes as if looking for an answer to a question. When he closed his eyes and parted her lips with his tongue, she felt as if she were lost in a vortex. She could feel the rain washing down her cheeks, cooling the fiery seal he had made on her mouth with his lips. With deliberate slowness, he teased and tasted her lips and tongue. Like an equatorial heat wave, Brock's kiss blazed through her body, wilting her reserve and charring her resistance. She arched her body into his, feeling the crunch of his shirt buttons against the thin silk of her bodice. She lifted her arms and put them around his neck, her mouth, torso, arms, and legs sinking irrevocably into him like a dying moth that for a split second had realized the flame had always offered but one consequence.

His torrid kiss invaded the secret recesses of her mind, unleashing all the passion she had stored away. With a wild desire and wantonness she hadn't believed possible, Reba kissed him back, hungering for every second that his lips covered hers. He was her savior and she clung to him, telling him with her mouth and tongue and body that she wanted him as equally as he wanted her. She felt the press of his hips against her and when his hands grasped her backside and pulled her even closer, she knew she would have him. Brock's kisses consumed her totally, shredding the last of her self-control and savagely severing the reins she'd so often held on herself.

The world had turned completely around for Reba and when Brock lifted his head and peered at her with his intense blue eyes, she knew they were about to embark on a journey that could be more perilous and exciting than the sum of all they'd experienced before. Reba became chilled and shivered. Brock took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her long and hard once again. The limousine pulled up to the curb in front of them. Brock opened the door for her. Instead of entering the limousine through the other door, he followed her into the vehicle through the same door.

He sat beside her and took her hand in his again. She was living in the moment. She let go of her misgivings. She felt as eager affection coming from him. There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach. For tonight, she would live like there was no tomorrow. Then she remembered that they were going back to the house. Despite their recent encounter, Reba was nervous at the thought of being with Brock again in their bed where they'd had so many memories. She remembered that night in July almost six years ago when they'd made more than just a memory. She wondered what the night would hold for them, for her heart and what would happen when morning came...

What will happen to Reba and Brock when they reach the house? Will Barbra Jean share the details of date with Eugene Fisher with Reba? What does the morning hold for Reba and Brock? What will Brock and Reba talk about when morning comes? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

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**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon.**

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	30. Weekend escape

_Dear Readers-_

_I had a great birthday! My kids greeted me early with hugs and my little ones even made me breakfast in bed. My husband finally remembered my birthday. I was shocked and surprised! He surprised me by taking me out for a great dinner! He was so sweet that I feel like making Brock even sweeter to Reba. I am now inspired to write more for Reba. Romance inspires more romance._

_Happy Mother's Day! I also had a great Mother's Day. I was surprised that my oldest daughter, who reads my story, decided to surprise me with a dozen peach and pink roses with a balloon that said Happy Mother's Day. It was definitely appreciated! My kids were so sweet today. Thank you, Janie Dear. You're the best!_

_There's a new poll for this story and series. Please vote for who you want to end up with whom is this story and series. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to get each female character to end up with a guy to love in the series. It's about finding love for all the female characters, but the emphasis is on Reba for now. Spoiler: Lori Ann is the next to find love, but with which guy?_

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! It would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not owe the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from summer-fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- His torrid kiss invaded the secret recesses of her mind, unleashing all the passion she had stored away. With a wild desire and wantonness she hadn't believed possible, Reba kissed him back, hungering for every second that his lips covered hers. He was her savior and she clung to him, telling him with her mouth and tongue and body that she wanted him as equally as he wanted her. She felt the press of his hips against her and when his hands grasped her backside and pulled her even closer, she knew she would have him. Brock's kisses consumed her totally, shredding the last of her self-control and savagely severing the reins she'd so often held on herself.

The world had turned completely around for Reba and when Brock lifted his head and peered at her with his intense blue eyes, she knew they were about to embark on a journey that could be more perilous and exciting than the sum of all they'd experienced before. Reba became chilled and shivered. Brock took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her long and hard once again. The limousine pulled up to the curb in front of them. Brock opened the door for her. Instead of entering the limousine through the other door, he followed her into the vehicle through the same door.

He sat beside her and took her hand in his again. She was living in the moment. She let go of her misgivings. She felt as eager affection coming from him. There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach. For tonight, she would live like there was no tomorrow. Then she remembered that they were going back to the house. Despite their recent encounter, Reba was nervous at the thought of being with Brock again in their bed where they'd had so many memories. She remembered that night in July almost six years ago when they'd made more than just a memory. She wondered what the night would hold for them, for her heart and what would happen when morning came...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 29 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with Reba and Brock having an Italian dinner, singing karaoke, and dancing. Brock took Reba out for a nice Italian dinner. They flirted and teased each other. They drank champagne and margaritas. Their next destination was a nightclub with karaoke and dancing. They each sang two songs. Their lips met accidentally. Reba threw caution to the wind and led Brock to the dance floor. They danced to Latin music and kissed. As they started to go home, they were caught in the rain and kissed again. Reba decided to let go of her fears as they headed home.**

**What will happen to Reba and Brock when they reach the house? Will Barbra Jean share the details of date with Eugene Fisher with Reba? What does the morning hold for Reba and Brock? What will Brock and Reba talk about when morning comes? Will readers get to find out what's happening with Lori Ann soon? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas? **

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's night with Brock after the night out. They've been flirting with each other all night long. They've exchanged kisses. The evening will continue from there back at the house. They will watch Romancing the Stone eventually. I can't give anything else away. It's good Breba stuff!_

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

When they arrived at home, Brock drew a hot bath for Reba, insisting that a chill could make her sick. After all the hardship that her body had been through lately with her high blood pressure and emotional distress, he said, peeling the rain-soaked dress off her body-she could never be too careful about things like that. Brock's breath caught in his throat as he looked at her standing nude in front of him. She was a goddess in his eyes! He hadn't actually seen her naked lately at all. He didn't get to see much when they were together on Monday morning. Everything happened so fast without warning, either in the darkness of night or under the covers when morning came. Reba kept herself covered in a blanket or a robe afterwards as she rushed to get dressed and get downstairs.

He'd seen her as close to unclad as possible and yet it still had not prepared him for such beauty. He'd forgotten how she wore her body like tailor-made clothes. He was awestruck and could only gape at her.

Suddenly Reba's arms crossed over her upper body and tears sprang to her eyes. "Please don't look at me like that!" She wasn't in her twenties or thirties anymore. She was in her forties and she knew that her body looked different now.

"You got it wrong!" he said instantly, taking her in his arms and kissing her again. "You're just so beautiful."

He looked into her eyes and knew she didn't believe him, but he also knew, given enough time, he would convince her. He kissed her eyes and tasted her salty tears, kissed her cheeks and ears and nose. He whispered soothing words as her tears subsided. Brock peeled off his clothes as well and lifted Reba into his arms. He carried her up to the bathtub and gently placed her inside. He stepped in and sat opposite her.

Reba handed him the sponge but he dropped it carelessly on the floor. When she reached for the soap, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him until her breasts touched his chest.

"This is what I should have done a long time ago. We've wasted so much time."

Brock bent his head and when their lips met, he devoured her with a ferocity that turned Reba's spine to liquid. She felt a ball of heat of heat catapult from one end of her body to the other, igniting her nerve endings. Every inch of her skin was eager for his touch. His hand slowly slid from her neck to the base of her throat with such agonizing inaction that before his hand came to rest on her breast, she thought she would go insane with the wait. Momentarily, his hand stopped; Brock held his breath and then he moaned when he kissed her again. She understood now the wait had been even more torturous for Brock.

His hands slid over the silky terrain of Reba's hips, thighs, and legs as his kisses became more eager. When he massaged her breast again, his hands were trembling. Suddenly he stood up, scooped her into his arms and carried her soaking wet into the bedroom. He was just inches from crossing the line once again. If he thought about it, he crossed the line earlier in the evening, but she didn't seem to mind. This was something that couldn't be explained by parasomnia and stress. This was crossing the line again with her full consent. It was very different from the other morning.

A sense of freedom, power, and courage filled him, for he held the greatest treasure he would ever find. He gazed down into the satin-soft lights in her blue eyes and knew that she was bound to him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her tiny kisses feeling like a shower of flower petals against his wet skin. When he placed her on the bed and lay down beside her, he was astonished to find that the urgency that had compelled him to want to take her even on the dance floor had vanished. He put his arm under her head and gathered her close to him. It seemed endless, time-out-of-time moments as they listened to each other's heartbeat, the sound of one another's breathing, feeling the warmth of their bodies mingle.

Brock placed his hand on her rib cage and watched it rise and fall as she breathed, then he took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Without speaking a word, a clamoring communication was taking place and it seemed the room was full of words. They were important words to Brock and yet he dared not speak them, for there was something sacred about this moment. His whole being cried out for her and yet he did not move toward her. He felt vulnerable, but rather than feeling afraid, he immersed himself into an awareness of their shared emotions. When he looked into her eyes, she seemed to descend into his soul, taking up residence so wondrous he shivered. She pulled him close, circling her arms around to his back and gently stroking him.

From the innocent touch of her fingertips on his back, Brock felt his passion ignite once more. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck where a soft patch of white skin gently curved and offered itself to him. Her damp, curling hair smelled of roses as he traced a line of warm kisses around her neck and down the narrow valley between her breasts. He heard her gasp with pleasure. Never had a woman's body thrilled him like Reba's and never had he expected that she would still be as thrilled with him. Her hands rested on his head as if she were protecting him, securing him, lest he go away. She did not push him or guide him, but seemed to derive pleasure simply from touching him. She stopped briefly to pull some protection from her nightstand.

Every pore in his body drank her in as he reverently explored her body. Fulfilling his fantasies of the past six years, he lingered long over her inner thighs. He tickled the backs of her knees and placed tiny, urgent kisses on her ankles. When he moved over her, he sought the comfort of her breast once again and rested his head close to her heart, assuring himself that this was not a dream. He gazed into her eyes, her infinite trust urging him to take her. Together their ecstasy grew like rising mist, nearly overpowering them in its intensity. Wanting and craving more from her, Brock quickened his pace and carried her to dizzying heights until ultimately her moans hurried into a climactic cry.

Reba quivered beneath Brock, her sweat-soaked body ignited by her desire for him. He teased and nibbled on her skin. Brock rolled onto his back, taking Reba with him. She liked the possessive way he held her, keeping her meshed to him. He traced the outline of her cheekbone with a tentative finger, started to say something, stopped, and pulled her head into his shoulder, and hugged her fiercely. Never had Reba felt such joy and fulfillment in all of her moments with him like this in the last twenty-four years. A cornucopia of dreams, desires, and emotions flooded her, combining with the physical exhaustion of their lovemaking, as Reba fell asleep in Brock's protective arms.

Reba awoke to find it still the middle of the night. At some point in time, Brock had arisen and hung their clothes up in the bathroom to dry. A bottle of wine was chilling in a bucket of ice next to him on the floor. The atmosphere felt like the rest of the world had been shut out. They were sealed away from the outside world. Reba smiled at him as Brock leaned on his elbow and with his other hand traced his name across her skin. She touched his cheek and ran her fingers through his rumpled hair. He bent his head and kissed her.

"You're beautiful!" Brock kissed her hand again and held it to his cheek. Brock's smile was a sexy, teasing one. "I got you a little something extra." He held up a gold locket from the nightstand. He got it out of his jacket pocket while he was hanging up the wet clothes in the bathroom.

Reba took the chain and read the inscription. "My heart? What is this for, Brock?"

"Open it."

Reba opened the locket to find pictures of a younger Reba and a younger Brock.

"I got those out of our first photo album. I hope that you don't mind."

"I guess not. It's lovely. I'm just surprised. That's all."

"Surprised about what?"

"I'm not sure what you're doing tonight. The limousine, the romantic dinner, the champagne, the singin', the dancin', the kissin', and everything else. Why the change? It's been nice, but you aren't the Brock Hart that I knew."

"You said that before. A guy could take offense to that. After what we just did, I'd think that there would be a little bit more trust and faith between us. Do you remember these pictures?"

"I'm not sure."

"September 1980."

"I don't remember having these taken."

"You were at the mall in Tulsa. It was the morning of the first party at Mike's when his parents were out of town. We saw you there. Mike told me who you were. You were takin' pictures in the photo booth with Lori Ann and laughin' a lot. Mike talked to ya for a bit. I just stood there, looking at ya. I didn't get to meet you until later that night. Mike and I took some silly pictures too. You took a bunch of these simple happy, smiling pictures so I decided to take some too. I found yours in a drawer when we first got married and I put them in the first photo album. I put mine in there, too. We just never talked about them before. You never asked about mine and you never told me about yours so I didn't bring it up."

"I really love it. I'm sorry, Brock."

"What for? I think I owe you more of an apology. Why are ya apologizing to me?"

"Because I was so hard on ya. I was tryin' to make Mike my conquest and you got in the way so I treated ya really badly. I just wanted ya out of the way. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. I know that sometimes I treated ya like you didn't even exist."

"I can always prove to you that I exist now, especially when you're wearin' that locket and nothin' else." He kissed her passionately. She wondered what he would do next. He leaned over her and tickled her on each side of her body. She withered and giggled.

"I give up. You exist! You've proven your point. What are ya gonna do to me next?"

"I have many things in mind for you, my dear." Brock responded as he leaned over her body and ran his hands down her neck and between her breasts.

Brock continued playing her body; eliciting responses that made him smile seductively at her. Reba bent her head and kissed him lightly and started to pull away. Brock held her face next to his, shook his head, and kissed her deeply. Once again, she felt electric shocks shoot through her veins.

"All I can remember right now is you. This is better than I could have imagined. How about we really make the world go away for just a day? We're so good at fighting and teasing each other. How about we pretend just for today that all that bad stuff never happened? We could pretend that we're still in love after twenty-four years together. Just for today, we're still married and we never got divorced. I could pretend that I'm still your wife and you're still my husband."

"So we just stay here for the rest of the day?"

"Typical guy reaction. We stay here until morning. Then we spent the day together like we would have if we were still married. We'd go out and spent time together just like a normal couple. Then we'd go to bed just like any other normal couple. I think that you get the idea from there. Just twenty-four hours. Then we'll go back to the way that things were; only I promise to be nicer. I promise not to hit ya unless you do somethin' really stupid."

"We go back to bein' just friends?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'm not sure I like that."

"What else do you want? You're married. If you wanna argue, you can just go to sleep in your own bed next door."

"No, that's not what I want at all." He tipped up her chin to lift her head and looked into her eyes. "I'll give ya whatever you want. No questions asked. Thank you, Reba."

"For what?"

"It's your birthday, but you've given me a gift."

Reba rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Shut up, you mo-ron." She silenced him with a deep kiss.

When it was morning, Reba was greeted to breakfast in bed by Brock. None of the kids came home to bother them. They were all alone in the house. They spent the day together as they planned. Reba made Brock take her to play 36 holes of miniature golf. Reba actually beat him and he used to be a semi-professional golfer. He protested because "miniature golf is not the same as playing real golf".

Reba laughed and Brock laughed with her. He took her to see a movie and they walked around the mall. She bought him a Hawaiian shirt. He bought her a revealing top to show off some of her cleavage. Despite being teased, Reba laughed along with Brock. Brock picked up a pizza and a bottle of wine. They went home to watch Romancing the Stone in Reba's room.

When the movie was over, Reba's heart began to pound in her chest in anticipation of what was to come, more of last night-part two. Reba was glad that she had plenty of protection left over from her trip to Oklahoma. It's wasn't like she'd used any of it during the trip anyway. The last thing that she wanted was to ruin Brock's life with an unplanned pregnancy. Eventually she would have her baby, but not like this. She wanted to make having a baby a wonderful, joyful event. She was not going to have a baby with a married man. She'd rather get pregnant in a lab, if she had to.

She shook off those thoughts to concentrate on what was currently happening with Brock. She was not disappointed that night either. Romance was alive and well inside Reba Hart's bruised and once broken heart. She knew that it had to end the next morning though. She had to face that Brock was someone else's husband now. When morning came, she kissed him goodbye and sent him back to the bedroom next door. Brock didn't give up because he still gave Reba breakfast in bed again. She looked at the teddy bear, balloons, and flowers that Brock put on her dresser.

She smiled at him as he carried the tray in her room. "I knew that there was a reason to keep ya around."

"Because every woman needs a best friend who will do absolutely anything for her. I am completely at your service, Madam."

"Because I'm still the boss?"

"Absolutely. Every day from here on out."

"That's what I like to hear- followed by the phrases, 'yes dear' or 'anything you say dear'."

"I can do that."

"Just what I've always wanted, a man who will do anything I say."

"That's right, Mrs. Hart. I am at your command."

"Well, it's time for you to put all this charm back into your marriage, my friend. I mean it. I'm serious. Go make your wife happy. I can't stand all this charm you're pouring on me. It's not natural. It's okay to be the same smug, vain Brock Hart as long as you put your wife first before anything or anyone else. Understand?"

"Anything you say, dear."

"Shut up, you mo-ron."

Brock and Reba shared a smile. Reba went on about her day as usual. Brock watched the Houston Astros game and the Dallas Desperados. It was Sunday, but Reba forgot about going to church. Cheyenne and Van had apparently taken the rest of the family to church. Barbra Jean was upset that Reba wasn't around on Saturday to talk with about her date with Eugene Fisher. After church, Reba went over to Barbra Jean's house to dish about the date.

Barbra Jean was smitten by the incredibly sweet Eugene Fisher. She was looking for romance and Eugene provided her with a night to remember. He used his best manners and didn't try anything more than just kissing. Barbra Jean was on cloud nine. Reba brought her back down by reminding her that she still had a husband. Barbra Jean was eager to discuss Reba's evening with Brock. Reba told her about the date, but left out most of Brock's romantic gestures. She didn't want to upset Brock's wife or get him in trouble.

Barbra Jean listened attentively and smiled. She didn't act like the date bothered her at all. This puzzled Reba. They went on to talk about the kids and Barbra Jean's next date with Eugene. Reba questioned Barbra Jean about how marriage counseling was going for her and Brock. She told Reba that they were getting counseling from Dr. Baker again. Barbra Jean left out the fact that they were going to separate counseling sessions now. Reba told Barbra Jean about beating Brock in a round of 36 holes of miniature golf the day before. Barbra Jean laughed and congratulated her on her victory over the former semi-professional golfer.

Reba really missed the kids. She knew that they had separate lives now away from the family so it wasn't too much of a surprise. Barbra Jean told Reba that Van and Cheyenne took Kyra, Jake, Henry, and Elizabeth to Six Flags Over Texas. What she didn't tell her was that Brock paid the kids to go to the amusement park and stay there for the weekend. Reba was somewhat disappointed that the kids wouldn't be home so they could sit down to dinner as a family. She sat down to watch the Dallas Desperados game with Brock. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed watching arena football, even though Van wasn't playing the sport anymore. She used to watch arena football just because Van was playing in the game.

The disappointment of the afternoon was when Dr. Jack Morgan called to ask Reba out on a date again. She couldn't believe his nerve. Reba moved to the kitchen to take that call. She didn't want to upset Brock. She wasn't sure why. She had every right to date whomever she wanted to. Jack was still dating his ex-wife, Cheryl. That man has some nerve!

Divorce or not, she wasn't going to try to date that man again. Luckily Lori Ann called Reba to talk about Friday's date. Lori Ann was moving back to Houston. That news made Reba's day! She'd missed her best friend being around. She'd been gone too long this time. Reba and Lori Ann discussed strategies to get Dr. Jack Morgan off her back. Paige called after that to dish about Friday's date also.

This time she took the call in the living room. With Brock smirking beside her, she tried to tell Paige the same sanitized version of the date that she told to Barbra Jean and Lori Ann. Paige knew that there was more to it than that, but she decided to leave that topic of conversation for another time. She wanted to tell Reba how things were heating up with her new boyfriend, Greg. Reba was quiet and offered Paige no words of support or encouragement like she usually did. Paige chalked that up to the fact that Mike Holliway was seen with two different dates over the weekend. One of those dates was with his ex-wife, Kim. Paige couldn't believe how well Reba was taking that news.

What Paige didn't know was that Reba set up those dates for Mike herself. Paige also had big news for Reba that she didn't know. Paige saw Reba's mother, Helen out to dinner with Mike's dad, Jason Holliway on Saturday night. Reba was shocked at her mother's behavior. She'd thought that her parents' marriage was in a good place. She couldn't believe that Helen would consider sneaking around behind JV's back again. Reba wanted to believe that Helen and Jason's dinner at Frontier's was perfectly innocent between friends. She had a nagging feeling that it wasn't.

They were exes and she knew that dinner between exes wasn't always a perfectly innocent situation between friends. Reba was torn between loyalty to Helen and loyalty to JV. She decided not to say anything to JV about it until she could talk to her mother. She decided not to talk to her mother about it unless she heard that Helen and Jason were seen out together again. Reba started to become guilty at her own behavior, which was starting to mirror her mother's. She was lonely and desperate so she reached out to her married ex and an innocent dinner turned into something else entirely. Why did she do it? What if it messed up the friendship that she and Brock had?

A flash of wild grief ripped through Reba and she started to cry. Brock put his arms around her to comfort her. Gently he rocked her back and forth.

"What's wrong, honey? What did she say to upset you?"

"My mother might be having an affair with a married man who happens to be the only other man that she's ever loved. I'm ashamed of her, but more importantly I'm ashamed of myself."

"Why, Reba? Why should this upset you this way? You said might. Shouldn't you wait until you have proof before you jump to conclusions?"

"Because it might be perfectly innocent? Was our dinner perfectly innocent, Brock? You and I both know the answer to that question. I slept with a married man. I became the other woman to the other woman. I'm a great example to my children."

"Our children." Brock corrected. "Why does it matter? No one knows anything about our weekend and no one has to know anything unless we tell them. Okay?"

"Barbra Jean asked."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her the same version of events that I told Lori Ann, okay? I don't want to be the reason that your marriage falls apart."

"You're not, honey. I promise you that. Barbra Jean and I have been having problems for years. This isn't the first time that we're gotten separated. We've even got a visitation schedule set up for Henry and that's a first."

"But you promised me that you would try to work things out with her! You said that you would try to put your wife first from now on. You can't break that promise, Brock. I'm holding you to it. If you want to stay here, then you have to continue trying to be a better husband and work on your marriage."

"I am. I promise. I will show you that I can be a good husband. I'm willing to work hard to get the relationship to a better place."

"You better, Brock."

"I could wring your mother's neck right now." Brock's tone was full of warmth and concern for her. He brushed a gentle kiss across Reba's forehead.

Reba locked herself in Brock's embrace. Something in his manner soothed her. She relaxed, sinking into his cushioning embrace. "You and me both," Reba responded in a weak and shaky whisper. Reba trusted Brock in that moment not to try to make a move on her. She wasn't disappointed when Brock proved to be the gentleman that he said that he was trying to be.

"I'm always gonna be here for ya, honey. Just like this, I promise." Brock said with quiet emphasis. "I'm not gonna let ya be sad about this weekend. Please don't cry. We are two consenting adults. We made a decision. We weren't even drinking yesterday. We've known and cared about each other for twenty-eight years. I am not gonna let ya feel bad about what happened between us. I still love you, Reba. Everything I did was out of that love. You had a good time, didn't ya?"

Reba nodded back at Brock without speaking. She leaned her head back and gazed into his eyes. She managed a small, tentative smile. His face split into a wide grin.

"I rocked your world quite a few times this week, haven't I?" There was a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Correction. I think that I'm the one who rocked your world more. I think that we're even matched in the bedroom. At least, I've never heard you complain." She heard his full masculine laugh.

"You win. You're right. I'm extremely satisfied when we're in bed. There's nothing in the world quite as fantastic as making love with you, Reba."

"I'm flattered, but I know that you're teasing me. You've got a young, eager wife at home."

"That is like comparing steak and hamburger. Now I like hamburger, but I could have steak every night of the week. And before you ask, Reba, I was comparing you to steak, a very satisfying meal."

The gentle teasing was helping to ease her guilty thoughts. She chuckled. "Can you think of other things to compare me to while you're on a roll, Mr. Sweet Talker?"

"Sex alleviates tension. And you, Sweetheart, are the best stress relief that I've ever had!"

Seeing the amusement in his eyes, Reba laughed. "Right back at ya, Sugar!" she quipped.

The moral crisis was temporarily averted, but Brock knew that the angel on her shoulder was back. He knew that they would have having this discussion again. Reba was not a person who made a habit of having casual sex and he knew that their weekend would bother her conscience again sometime in the near future.

Reba was too content spending the time alone with Brock to get online to talk with LovinCowboy84 about her date and the movie. She figured that she would come up with a good excuse when she talked to him again. She considered telling him that she went with the kids to Six Flags and that's why she wasn't online all weekend. She'd hoped that he'd buy that excuse. She hated lying to him, but she didn't want to admit to him what actually happened. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea about her being some lonely desperate divorcee. She valued his opinion and didn't want him judging her recent behavior. She felt guilty enough as it was.

He was a good friend and she didn't want to lose him. She didn't know before how wonderful it felt to be friends with a man without any sexual attraction getting in the way. He seemed to like and care about her as a person. She trusted him completely with things that she couldn't share with anyone else. She really needed someone like that in her life. She sometimes wondered if Brock said sweet things to her just to get his own way. He often used to trick her to win an argument or to get her into bed when they were married. She'd hoped that life would resume back to normal between her and Brock. She wondered if they really could continue being best friends. She decided that only time would tell...

What will happen to Reba and Brock after this? Will Barbra Jean keep on dating Eugene Fisher? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock? What will Reba say to LovinCowboy84 when she talks to him again? Is Helen really cheating on JV? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Mike Holliway's dad's name is now Jason. Thanks for the suggestion, FakeCubicZirconium._

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

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**.net/~rebabrockfan**

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	31. Major changes

_Dear Readers-_

_There's a new poll for this story and series. Please vote for who you want to end up with whom is this story and series. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to get each female character to end up with a guy to love in the series. It's about finding love for all the female characters, but the emphasis is on Reba for now in the story. _

_It's finally September 2008 in the story! Spoiler: Lori Ann is the next to find love, but with which guy?_

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! It would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell, Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Reba locked herself in Brock's embrace. Something in his manner soothed her. She relaxed, sinking into his cushioning embrace. "You and me both," Reba responded in a weak and shaky whisper. Reba trusted Brock in that moment not to try to make a move on her. She wasn't disappointed when Brock proved to be the gentleman that he said that he was trying to be.

"I'm always gonna be here for ya, honey. Just like this, I promise." Brock said with quiet emphasis. "I'm not gonna let ya be sad about this weekend. Please don't cry. We are two consenting adults. We made a decision. We weren't even drinking yesterday. We've known and cared about each other for twenty-eight years. I am not gonna let ya feel bad about what happened between us. I still love you, Reba. Everything I did was out of that love. You had a good time, didn't ya?"

Reba nodded back at Brock without speaking. She leaned her head back and gazed into his eyes. She managed a small, tentative smile. His face split into a wide grin.

"I rocked your world quite a few times this week, haven't I?" There was a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Correction. I think that I'm the one who rocked your world more. I think that we're evenly matched in the bedroom. At least, I've never heard you complain." She heard his full masculine laugh.

"You win. You're right. I'm extremely satisfied when we're in bed. There's nothing in the world quite as fantastic as making love with you, Reba."

"I'm flattered, but I know that you're teasing me. You've got a young, eager wife at home."

"That is like comparing steak and hamburger. Now I like hamburger, but I could have steak every night of the week. And before you ask, Reba, I was comparing you to steak, a very satisfying meal."

The gentle teasing was helping to ease her guilty thoughts. She chuckled. "Can you think of other things to compare me to while you're on a roll, Mr. Sweet Talker?"

"Sex alleviates tension. And you, Sweetheart, are the best stress relief that I've ever had!"

Seeing the amusement in his eyes, Reba laughed. "Right back at ya, Sugar!" she quipped.

The moral crisis was temporarily averted, but Brock knew that the angel on her shoulder was back. He knew that they would have having this discussion again. Reba was not a person who made a habit of having casual sex and he knew that their weekend would bother her conscience again sometime in the near future.

Reba was too content spending the time alone with Brock to get online to talk with LovinCowboy84 about her date and the movie. She figured that she would come up with a good excuse when she talked to him again. She considered telling him that she went with the kids to Six Flags and that's why she wasn't online all weekend. She'd hoped that he'd buy that excuse. She hated lying to him, but she didn't want to admit to him what actually happened. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea about her being some lonely desperate divorcée. She valued his opinion and didn't want him judging her recent behavior. She felt guilty enough as it was.

He was a good friend and she didn't want to lose him. She didn't know before how wonderful it felt to be friends with a man without any sexual attraction getting in the way. He seemed to genuinely like and care about her as a person. She trusted him completely with things that she couldn't share with anyone else. She really needed someone like that in her life. She sometimes wondered if Brock said sweet things to her just to get his own way. He often used to trick her to win an argument or to get her into bed when they were married. She'd hoped that life would resume back to normal between her and Brock. She wondered if they really could continue being best friends. She decided that only time would tell...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 30 in the present year of the story- June 2008 with Reba and Brock heading home from their date. Brock romanced Reba more. Brock gave Reba a heart locket with a picture of teenage Reba and a picture of teenage Brock inside. The pictures were taken the day that they met in September 1980. That's why the pictures meant so much to Brock. They made love and Reba decided to ask Brock if they could let go of their painful past for a little while. Reba asked if they could just pretend to be husband and wife more just one more day. Reba doesn't want to be in an on-going affair with him.**

**They spent the day together as a couple. Brock paid for the kids to be gone for the weekend to Six Flags Over Texas. Reba doesn't know this, but Barbra Jean does. They played miniature golf and Reba beat Brock, who used to be a semi-professional golfer. They went to a movie and shopped at the mall together. They watched Romancing the Stone together before the end of the evening when they made love again. Brock continued to be sweet to Reba the next day when the deal was over. Brock watched sports on TV while Reba visited with Barbra Jean. **

**Barbra Jean was gushing over her date with Eugene Fisher. Reba found out that Brock and Barbra Jean were in counseling again with Dr. Baker. Dr. Morgan called to ask Reba out on a date again. Lori Ann called to tell Reba that she's moving back to Houston. Paige called to talk with Reba about her love life and find out about Reba's date on Friday night. Paige saw Helen having dinner with her ex, Jason Holliway. **

**Reba believes that Helen is having an affair with Jason Holliway again. Brock comforted Reba. Reba felt guilty about her weekend with Brock. Reba hadn't talked to LovinCowboy84 all weekend. She wondered what to tell him when she finally did talk to him again. She wanted things between her and Brock to go back to normal.**

**What will happen to Reba and Brock after this? Will Barbra Jean keep on dating Eugene Fisher? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock? What will Reba say to LovinCowboy84 when she talks to him again? Is Helen really cheating on JV? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Summer-Fall 2008: __Brock told Reba that she's his best friend. They were working to put the animosity of the divorce behind them and work towards the friendship that they had years ago in Oklahoma. Brock was making that hard when his physical presence was all over her house again as a roommate once he moved in again. Brock begged Reba to let him stay at her house temporarily while he and Barbra Jean worked things out in the spring. When it looked like the separation wasn't so temporary, Brock suggested that he stay and help Reba out with the bills. He encouraged her to go back to college and finish her degree so she could become a teacher just like she always wanted to. The family jumped behind that idea. Van and Cheyenne offered to rent out their house and move back in to help Reba out to make things easier while she went back to school. _

_Van and Cheyenne were worried about being on their own so they quickly made the offer to help Reba so they could get the sanctuary and comfort from living at Reba's house. Brock remodeled the basement into an apartment for Van, Cheyenne, and their two kids. Cheyenne wanted her parents' help with the new baby. John Christopher Montgomery was born in July. The name made Reba sad and happy at the same time. Van and Cheyenne picked the name without knowing that it held special meaning for Reba. They still weren't aware that Cheyenne was not Reba's firstborn child. Reba saw a resemblance in her new grandson to her own baby John from twenty-five years before. _

_Van and Cheyenne were busy and extremely exhausted. Cheyenne returned to college classes in the fall. Van worked long hours at the real estate office. Baby John was put in campus daycare until five o'clock when Reba or Brock picked up the baby from the daycare. Brock offered to make the attic into a bedroom for Kyra so she'd have more privacy back in April. Kyra graduated from high school in June. She spent the summer playing gigs with her band. She came home less often. In September, mother and daughters were all college students at the University of Houston. _

_Elizabeth and Henry started kindergarten by then. Kyra was staying in the dorms on campus. She still had a bedroom at Reba's house whenever she decided to come home. Jake was thirteen and started eighth grade in the fall. He also started his own lawn mowing business in the neighborhood so he could have some spending money. Elizabeth and Henry started kindergarten that fall. Henry spent weekends with Brock at Reba's house. He stayed in the guest bedroom, which was Kyra's old bedroom. Barbra Jean was very busy with her new job as a television news reporter so Henry also stayed at Reba's house after school until his mother got off work. Brock cut back his work hours so he could be home when Elizabeth, Henry, and Jake got home from school. _

_Reba was pleasantly surprised that her family was finally able to sit down all together for dinner at six o'clock every night after all these years like she always wished that they could. Reba and Brock traded off cooking duties. Everyone had assigned household chores to keep things running smoothly since Reba had so much on her plate while returning to school after all these years. Reba put the family on a budget so they could make it financially while she was in school and not working. Brock wanted Reba to be able to focus on school full-time so he suggested to her that having a job, being a full-time student, and being a full-time mother would be too stressful and hard on her blood pressure. Brock and Barbra Jean have filed for divorce behind Reba's back. Brock is worried about Reba's reaction to the news._

_Brock is staying in Van and Cheyenne's old bedroom. This was hard for Reba to grow accustomed to. She was comfortable in her old routine. The change and disruption of her routine was hard for Reba to handle. She was used to living as a single mother alone. Reba and Brock's bedrooms are separated by just one wall. Reba was just getting out of a bad relationship with Jack Morgan that was rekindled in February. He'd tricked her into believing that his marriage to Cheryl was over. When she found out, she was furious and broke things off with him in March. Six months after the breakup, he wouldn't leave her alone. Lori Ann suggested setting her up with a blind date so Jack could see that Reba was dating again and off limits to him. Reba agreed. She is enjoying her new role as a full-time college student. Reba finds Mike Holliway at her door as the blind date set up by Lori Ann. After the initial shock wears off, Reba and Mike sit down with everyone else to watch a video tape that Lori Ann made for them about the big moments in their past relationship._

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Brock backs off on pursuing Reba at her request. He is waiting for his divorce to be final. Reba starts college. Mike Holliway comes back into their lives. Reba and Mike get to know each other again. Reba and Mike go on a double date with Brock and Barbra Jean. Lori Ann helps Reba get Dr. Jack Morgan off her back. Dr. Jack Morgan was in a relationship with his ex-wife, Cheryl again while pursuing Reba. Reba and Lori Ann plan for Lori Ann to seduce Jack and be caught by Cheryl. Stay tuned for Cheryl's reaction to Jack's infidelity._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba went through with her plan of not revealing much about her weekend with Brock to LovinCowboy84. She gave him a G rated version of the evening and the following weekend. Three months passed and life went back to normal. Reba talked with LovinCowboy84 two nights a week plus weekends. She was very busy with adjusting to life as a college student. She was attending the same college as Kyra, which wasn't too awkward for the teen. She had lunch with her mother one or two days a week on campus, depending on her schedule. She usually had lunch with Reba on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays. Cheyenne also had lunch with her mother one day per week.

Cheyenne had lunch with Reba on Tuesdays. That was about the only time that she had during the school week to spend with her mother. She had taken on an extra course load after she changed majors to become a drug and alcohol counselor. Reba cherished the days when Kyra was able to join her and Cheyenne for lunch. Those were special Tuesdays. Her children were grown up and she missed spending time with them. She was glad that she was able to attend college again. Now she had something in common with her daughters and they had time to be with her¸ even if it was just for an hour.

She really had to thank Brock. He really came through for her. He was paying her college costs and helping around the house with the kids. He made sure that he was home for Jake, Henry, and Elizabeth every day after school. Why wasn't he like that when she started back to work five years ago? It must be because Barbra Jean went back to work and couldn't play the role of the perfect housewife anymore. There it was again, a small amount of old hostility rearing its ugly head. She had thoughts like this about Barbra Jean creep into her mind every so often.

She felt bad because Barbra Jean was one of her best friends. She knew what Paige would say about that! Of course, if she gave in to these thoughts about Barbra Jean as husband stealing homewrecker, then she would start having thoughts about Brock as a husband. She didn't want that. She had a nice, comfortable life and she didn't want anyone to mess it up. Things between her and Brock were terrific. He had a firm place in her life as a best friend and a roommate. She had dreams from those days in June, but she dismissed those as frustration over her lack of a love life.

Lori Ann moved back to Houston in August. Every Friday night was girls' night out. Barbra Jean only came along when Lori Ann was in enough of a good mood to tolerate her. Lori Ann developed a plan of action to get rid of Dr. Jack Morgan, which would also benefit Reba by jumpstarting her love life. That's when Reba got a surprise at the door, Mike Holliway. Everyone was in Reba's room watching a video that Lori Ann made for Mike Holliway and Reba. The video was just about finished. Mike was in the scene that they were currently watching.

Video- "Okay. So now I've sent the flowers and serenaded you on the radio. You're not impressed. I should have expected it. I should've told ya what I was plannin', but I really wanted to make sure that everythin' was in place before we saw each other again. If you're watchin' this now, I've moved to Houston to be with ya. I've uprooted my whole life. I want you to know that you can depend on me. I love ya, Sal.

I always have. I know that you're dating other guys, but that's okay because I know that I can rise up to the challenge of showing ya how much we belong together. I have a lot of work to do in order to prove myself to ya. We need a fresh start, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to look back to the past right now since that's all we've been doin' with this video."

Mike picked up his guitar that was beside his chair and began to play an old favorite song of theirs from their teen years, "Thirteen".

**Won't you let me walk you home from school  
Won't you let me meet you at the pool  
Maybe Friday I can  
get tickets for the dance  
and I'll take you  
Won't you tell your dad, "Get off my back"  
Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It Black'  
Rock 'n Roll is here to stay  
Come inside where it's okay  
And I'll shake you.  
Won't you tell me what you're thinking of  
Would you be an outlaw for my love  
If it's so, well, let me know  
If it's "no", well, I can go  
I won't make you**

"So Reba, can we make a new start together? You are my past, my present, and my future. Can we try to work things out and be a family?"

Reba was watching the video and tears filled her eyes. She looked over at Mike and took his hand. "I'm just not sure. I need time to think. I do love you. I'm just not sure if we really do work anymore, especially here. Things are easy back home in McAlester, but this is my real life."

"I know that. I can give you time." He said, patting her hand.

"Guys, that wasn't the last scene in the video. There's one last scene that was a surprise for you." Lori Ann explained.

Video- Terry Holliway came on the screen. "Hey, guys. I'm makin' this for ya. The doctors haven't given me much time. I've got cancer. If you're watchin' this, then I'm gone. This is not meant to be a goodbye, which is why this isn't bein' played at my funeral. You see, I know that we are in a very messed up situation. We have been for the last twenty years. You see Brock is in love with Reba, who's always been in love with Mike, despite the fact that she married Brock. I know that she loves Brock, too.

They do have three children together. I understand this, Reba, because I'm in love with two people too. I love Lori Ann, but we do not have a permanent relationship. We have a relationship that fits on her schedule and I'm okay with that. I just wanna be with her. I'm also in love with Kim. That snuck up on me. Mike's an idiot. Neither one of us has been makin' good decisions lately. Reba walked out on Mike again and he just stood there and watched her go. She almost died, Mike. You better let her know how you feel before you lose the chance. I should know I'm in love with a stubborn woman myself."

Lori Ann's voice came on from behind the video camera. "I'm not stubborn. Just sensible. Kim is carryin' your demon spawn so I'm not gonna marry you."

"Come on. If Reba was given the choice on her wedding day, don't ya think that she woulda married Mike, despite Kim's pregnancy?"

"She loves him. She can't help it. It's true love. When it comes to love triangles, let me tell ya somethin'. Someone is always gonna come out cryin'. I've watched Reba suffer for the last year or two. She dies a little bit more each day because of Brock and his bimbo. I can't do that. I'm just gonna go home and celebrate life. When the time comes, I'm gonna bring Mike and Reba back together again."

"That's all I ask. I love you, Lori Ann."

"Shut up and unmask the she-devil! She started this whole thing and seduced the two of you into it. I've waited long enough. You will tell the secret now!"

"Reba, I never meant to hurt ya so badly! I really didn't think that your relationship with Mike was that serious. I know better now. I've seen how you two have worked together to help raise Paige. You fight being in love. Let me tell ya somethin'. Brock wasn't worth runnin' back to. Let me tell ya how the whole thing started back in 1983. Kim was mad because Mike dumped her to be with you.

She wasn't gonna stand by and take it. She thought that she was in love with him herself. Brock was in love with you. He told me so. I saw what happened the night of the party just before we left for Vegas. Reba, I figured that you shouldn't rush into marriage without bein' absolutely sure. When Kim came to me with a plan, I joined in. Brock was already part of Kim's plan.

The plan was to stop the wedding. Here's the truth- Kim knew that Mike was gonna call it quits before prom night. I knew it, too. I got Mike away from your house that night. Then I left and ended up at the party with Lori Ann. Kim saw Mike at the party. He got really drunk. I think that it was because he wanted to be with you and didn't know if you two had a future. He was drinking his pain away.

Kim took him upstairs, but nothing happened. He was passed out drunk. They didn't have sex. Kim made it look like they did. This got her two more weeks with Mike. Then he really did end it with her. She was never pregnant. You two got together so fast. It was hard to form much of a plan so it was developed as plans for the wedding went rollin' right along.

You shoulda known that somethin' was wrong when Brock was chosen as the best man instead of me. I'm Mike's only brother. Brock was just a friend. That was part of the plan. The plan was to make me look like the threat to the whole thing. For some reason, you seemed to trust Brock more so Mike decided to make Brock the best man. It bought Brock lots of time to be close to ya, Reba. Every time your instincts told ya that somethin' was off. You were right. The best man was tryin' to steal the bride.

There were plenty of opportunities to stop the plan. When Lori Ann told me about the private ceremony, I prayed that Mike would still go get a minister. You shoulda listened to your grandmother. She saw that somethin' was gonna happen, but she left it up to free will and fate. I wanted out of the conspiracy, but I was sleepin' with Kim. I wasn't gonna go against her. That's why Lori Ann was set up with Brock in Vegas. I didn't want Lori Ann to find out. Brock was my best friend, too.

I didn't wanna hurt him. He thought that he'd get ya right away with Mike out of the picture. I wasn't in love with Kim at this point. She and I were just killin' time together. Lori Ann had a crush on Brock. With Brock out of the way, I figured that Lori Ann might start to have feelings for me. The night before the wedding, Brock was certain that he'd made some progress with you. But you were still plannin' a wedding and honeymoon with Mike.

You only saw Brock as a friend. Kim flew into Vegas the night before the wedding. Everything that happened at the wedding was planned precisely. She came in to stop the ceremony. Brock didn't plan on you asking him point blank if he knew anythin' about Kim stoppin' the ceremony. He looked ya straight in the eye and lied. Of course, he knew! Half of the plan was his idea.

Brock and Kim knew how Mike would react to Kim's ultimatum. Reba, you played right into their hands because you were wantin' revenge by sleepin' with another man in the honeymoon suite. Brock acted so innocent when Lori Ann suggested that Reba sleep with him. Brock figured that Mike wouldn't want ya anymore after that. We all know how wrong he was. Mike won Reba back and things were great until she left town. Reba, I don't know what happened that night in Vegas, but I owe you the biggest apology.

That was supposed to be the most romantic night of your life. You were savin' yourself for your husband and we ruined that. You didn't get a husband and you ended up alone with a baby. I knew that you would end up back with Mike though. I didn't mind at all bein' a part of your plan, Reba. You developed your plan out of pure love, but the breakdown of your relationship was caused by lack of communication. Mike was afraid to take your relationship to the next level because you didn't tell him that it was okay with you. You insisted that Mike try to keep the marriage goin'. He didn't know what else to do. Reba, men aren't all knowing.

Women have to tell men exactly what they want sometimes. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I never imagined that you were that depressed. I figured it out on my own. Brock never told me what happened. Maybe Brock was what you needed to heal back then. But he played a part in hurting ya every bit as much as the rest of us. He kept after you until you broke down and then he played the hero in puttin' ya back together again.

Please don't let some stupid ole drama from twenty-five years ago keep you and Mike apart anymore. Brock is the idiot for ruining things. If you'd spent your life happily ever after with him, then this wouldn't matter to you. But after everything he did to get ya to fall in love with him, he screwed it up and broke your heart. It's Mike's turn now. You were both victims. Kim said that she'd make things right with you someday. I'm goin' to even if she doesn't. This seems right somehow.

I brought you and Mike together in the first place so maybe it's okay if I'm the one who helps bring you back together again. Thanks for the song and the dance, Reba. I feel privileged to have seen you one last time. You really shine on that stage. I hope that you can forgive me someday. I wish that I could see you again. I know that I will someday in heaven. I'll be up there with your grandfather and the baby, so don't cry for me. I've lived a good life. I've been happy. My best times were with the four of us together: Mike, Lori Ann, you and me. I love you guys. Be happy."

When the devastating confession was over, Reba's eyes were so watery that she couldn't see. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She looked over at Mike. "Let's try to work things out and see where it goes."

A wide grin spread over Mike's face. "Well, Ms. McKinney-Hart?" He paused the question there as he always did. He wanted to see if Reba remembered what he was asking.

"If you have to ask, then you're doin' something wrong, you mo-ron." she responded jokingly.

"Honey, I've never been so happy to hear you call me that."

"If you like that, then you'll love it when I end up smackin' ya upside the head. I kinda hate you, love you anyway."

"You love me. I heard that hate had top billing, but I know that you love me. I've just gotta do some work to prove myself to you and I will. I told ya that before." Mike brushed his lips against hers as he spoke.

"Okay. You owe me a date, mister."

"I know. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. It's Friday night and that's girls' night out so you're not invited. We're gonna celebrate life and give a toast to Terry. I do forgive him, you know. I'm not so sure about Kim. First, she tries to break us up and now she's tryin' to get us back together. Jack, your ex-wife is completely looney toons."

"But at least now she's my ex-wife. Unfortunately, she's still family. She's the mother of my children and my brother's widow. That makes her my sister-in-law."

"She's family? Can I back out now?" Reba quipped.

"Not on your life, Sal. Besides whatever you can say about Kim, I can say about Brock. I have to accept the fact that he's family too."

Reba laughed. "You have jealousy issues and I'm gonna clubbin' tonight. Good luck with that." She patted him on the shoulder. "Everybody out! I have to get ready to go out."

"Mrs. H, are you sure that you should be doin' that?"

"Yes, Van. I'm very sure."

"Reba, can I come?" Barbra Jean asked.

"Ask Lori Ann."

"Lori Ann, can I come clubbin' with you two tonight?"

"That would depend on whether or not Brock would be comfortable with us takin' you out. It's Brock bashing night and we're gonna talk about all of his embarrassing secrets." Lori Ann looked over at Brock. "On second thought, we would love for you to come with us, Barbra Jean. It's time that you learned just what kinda man you're married to."

"Oh, that's okay. It won't be that much longer anyway."

Brock shot Barbra Jean a look of anger, silently warning her to keep that information to herself.

"What won't be that much longer anyway?" Reba asked.

"'Til we go out. I know that we'll be out on the town soon." Barbra Jean's reply didn't make much sense to Reba, but she shook it off as typical Barbra Jean nonsense.

Reba lost track of the number of jello shots that she consumed while out clubbing with Lori Ann and Barbra Jean. She really did have fun making fun of Brock with Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean was defended him less than usual so it was great to see his adoring wife cracking jokes about his behavior at his expense. The surprise at the end of the night was when Mike showed up to take the ladies home. He picked Reba up in his arms and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He was a gentleman. Reba tried to entice him into kissing her, which he did once. He stopped and tucked her into bed before leaving.

Brock walked into Reba's room a little bit later to check on her. He got her the necessary hangover supplies that she might need and put them by her bed.

Reba woke up slightly. "Why?"

"Why what, honey?"

"Don't call me that! You don't get to call me honey, sunshine, babe, or sweetheart ever again."

"How about I call you, Sally? Do you like that better?" he remarked in a low soft voice as if it were a come-on. His face held a familiar smirk.

Reba was not amused. "Only Mike gets to call me that. You're avoiding the question. Why?" she responded in a whisper, her voice breaking.

"Why what, Reba?" Brock answered softly.

"Why did you do it? Why did you rip my whole life apart? If you loved me so much, then why did you leave? I've told ya that I hated you and you didn't leave. You waited until I loved you so much and then you left. Did you ever really love me, Brock? Or did you just love what I could do for you? You got to be the big hero and save my life.

You gave me Cheyenne. I married you and waited on you faithfully like poor dumb Barbra Jean. I gave you two more children. I helped build up your dental practice. I gave you a clean house and home cooked meals. I practically raised our children alone for most of their lives without complaint. I did all of that out of love. I was more than warm, willing, and responsive in bed. But you moved on to the next poor victim. Then you cheated on her too with the pathetic fool who fell for your charm again. Is that how you love someone, Brock? Do you even know what love is?"

"I'm gonna stand here and take this now because you're angry and I deserve it. You're drunk and I don't know how much of this you'll remember in the morning. But get this through your head, I love you, Reba. I know that I hurt you. I'm sorry for that. I was wrong. I made mistakes, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love you. By the way, you weren't warm, willing, and responsive for a long time towards the end of our marriage, except for that one night. I thought that you didn't want me anymore.

I'm not gonna beat a dead horse. You are not a pathetic fool and Barbra Jean is not a victim. She got me drunk and seduced me one night. I wasn't the one who pursued her. It happened once. I've been paying for it ever since. By the way, I'm the one who's cooking meals, cleaning house, and taking care of the children when you're not home now. The tables have turned and I still love you. If I were the type of man that you're accusin' me of being, then I would be in bed with you right now because we both know how warm, willing, and responsive you are when you're drunk."

Before Reba could respond, she felt Brock's lips pressed against hers. She melted into the kiss. She was drunk, but not too drunk to know what they were saying and doing. She put her fingers into his golden locks. She wasn't just responsive and yielding. She was demanding as her mouth deepened the kiss. She pressed her body against his as she pulled him into bed with her. He pulled away and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Because I'm not the man that you accuse me of being, I'll be right next door in my own bed. I love you and I want you, but at a time when you come to me without alcohol in your system."

"You're a monkey's butt. I don't wanna love a monkey's butt like you."

"Then I'll try not to be a monkey's butt anymore, Sweetie. It'll be hard because somehow I always end up makin' a fool of myself over you."

"Fine, go! You're good at leaving."

Brock sighed with exhaustion and the challenge over overcoming their past had just begun. The weekend was here and Brock found himself in Reba's shoes. He was forced to watch Reba and Mike together spending time at the house right in front of his face. He was uncomfortable and Lori Ann noticed. Reba and Mike were sitting together on the couch. He was standing in the kitchen when Lori Ann confronted him.

"You can dish it out, but you sure can't take it! This is poetic justice for Reba, you mo-ron. You are gonna shut your mouth and let her be happy because she did the same thing for you and the bimbo. How does it feel, Brock? What you're feeling right now is exactly how you made Reba feel. I've waited six years to laugh in your face, but you look so pathetic right now that I just can't. Darn it! That's okay. I'll just wait to laugh at you when they go out on their date."

It turned out that Mike was also in college majoring in education. He and Reba had classes together on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He drove her to campus on those days. Brock felt out of place because he used to drive her to campus on those days on his way to work. Now he only got to drive into town with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those were the days that Cheyenne drove Reba to campus, but she suddenly came up with a reason why she couldn't and that left Reba without a ride. Reba's used car that she had for the last six years died on her. She didn't have the money to buy another car and she didn't want to ask Brock for the money when he was already helping her out so much.

It disturbed Brock that Reba was so comfortable with Mike so quickly. On the second morning that Mike drove Reba to school, she was making breakfast for the family. He walked right into the house through the back door with a Venti Vanilla Cappuccino from Starbucks. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and made him a fried egg sandwich to eat on the way to school before rushing out the door with him. Brock brought it up to Reba the next day on the drive into downtown Houston.

"He walks into the house without knocking like he owns the place. He kissed you right in front of everyone. Then you fixed him breakfast and rushed out the door without even saying goodbye."

"I was in a hurry. We were runnin' late. Professor Crews always locks students out of the classroom if you don't make it to class on time. Let's talk about exes who walk into my house without knocking like they own the place. That would be you. It's my house. I got it in the divorce and that has never stopped you. You have never once knocked on my door and I've never confronted ya about it.

You and Barbra Jean just waltz in. Family does that. I've accepted y'all as family. I told Mike that he didn't have to knock either. He is welcomed to walk right in because it's my house and I said so. I fixed him breakfast. What a crime! I made my ex breakfast when he came over to give me a ride.

Oh boy, Brock! There have been plenty of times when I've made you breakfast when you've barged right in with no reason at all. As for kissin' him, I can do that anytime I want in my own house. He brought me my favorite coffee from Starbucks. We're in a relationship and I showed him my appreciation. It was just a quick peck. You and Van were the only ones in the kitchen at the time. None of our children were in the room. Van doesn't care because Mike is getting him a job."

"What job? Van is doin' well sellin' real estate."

"He is, but you know how much football meant to him. Mike is a substitute teacher at Westchester High School. He's also the new football coach there. He's gettin' Van a job as an assistant coach. It's a part-time thing. Van will still be workin' in real estate."

Brock sat there speechless, his eyes were on the road in front of him while he drove. Reba couldn't see his eyes to tell what he was feeling.

"Are you okay?"

"No, this guy seems to have taken over everything in the last few days. You treat him like a member of the family. He's coaching the Wildcats. I feel like he's replacing me."

"I've known him for thirty-seven years. We've been friends since I was five years old. We lived together. We used to be married and we had a child together. He has always been a big part of my life. That's what makes him family. He's coachin' football because he was head coach at McAlester High School. You quit coachin' to become a professional golfer. Nobody forced ya to. He got to know Van over the weekend and I talked to him about giving Van the assistant coach position. I know that you're close to Van. Don't you want this for Van as much as I do? Van and Cheyenne are thrilled."

"I'm happy for Van, but that doesn't change how I feel. Things are changin' fast."

"You knew that things would change when I went back to school. You knew that things would change for us once I started dating. After six years, you had to know that I would eventually meet someone that I could date seriously."

"After our weekend in June, I was hopin' that wouldn't happen."

"I told ya that it was a onetime thing. Maybe you should go home and work things out with your wife there."

"I've been talkin' to Dr. Baker. I can't do that right now. He said that I have to give her the time and space that she needs."

"Okay, Brock. I understand that. I'm glad that you're tryin'. I just can't be in that place in your life. We're just friends. Is there anythin' that I can do to help you out with Barbra Jean?"

"Yeah, there is. I was hopin' that we could double date on Friday night. I wanted to ask you yesterday morning, but I got distracted."

"I'm not sure. It's my first date back with Mike again. I'm also busy gettin' Dr. Morgan off my back."

"Please, Reba! You've got to help me. What if I mess things up with her? I need you to help me so I don't. You want me to patch things up with her, dontcha? I promise that I'll be nice to Mike. I'll work on being friends with Mike again. It'll be like old times. Remember when we all used to go out together before in Oklahoma? Please!" Brock said, giving her the sad puppy eyes look.

"Alright, alright! I'll help ya because we're friends and you obviously need the help. You've always been a rotten husband. You need all the help that you can get and I'm holdin' ya to that promise to become friends with Mike. I mean it! You'd better be nice or I promise ya that I'll hand ya your walkin' papers. You'll be out the door so fast you won't know what hit ya." Reba responded.

Brock smiled and continued the drive into the city. The days flew by and Reba was busy preparing for her date with Mike. She talked about it with LovinCowboy84. It was Friday and Reba was in the computer lab studying when she noticed that Lovin Cowboy84 was online. It was an hour before lunchtime. She was supposed to meet Mike for lunch after studying.

**LovinCowboy84: **So let me get this straight, you bought a special dress for your anniversary dinner in Oklahoma and then wore it for a special dinner with your ex-husband. Now you're going to wear it for a date with your Oklahoma boyfriend and you're double dating with the ex-husband. This has disaster written all over it.

**RamblinRedRose: **It doesn't have to be. This is going to be a fun evening. I bought the dress for a date with Mike and I'm wearing it for a date with Mike. Brock and Mike are friends. I am friends with Brock's wife so this will be a nice night out with friends. Brock is not the most romantic guy. He wants a chance to patch things up with his wife so at least he'll learn a thing or two from Mike.

**LovinCowboy84: **I hate to break it to you, honey, but that's not how it works. You might be able to get these guys to be civil to each other, but you are not going to get them to be buddies in one night. No guy is going to like the guy who's dating his ex-wife.

**RamblinRedRose: **It's been six years since the divorce. I've dated since the divorce. This is someone that I dated long before I ever dated Brock. It'll be fine. Brock was at our wedding. This isn't anything new for him.

**LovinCowboy84:** Have you asked him about how he feels about this?

**RamblinRedRose: **No. I don't need to. We have an understanding. I'm helping him save his marriage. He promised to be nice to Mike and becomes friends with him again. If he doesn't, then he'll be forced to live elsewhere and that's how it's done.

**LovinCowboy84: **By forcing his cooperation. You're a gem of a friend, aren't you? I'll bet that you're a really scary ex-wife.

**RamblinRedRose: **Only when I have to be. He asked for my help so I offered my help with some conditions. That's the only way that it will work out. This is one time when I will force Brock to behave himself. At least his behavior should impress his wife. We both need this night to work out so it will. I don't want to talk to him anymore about it. I'm nervous enough about my date to add Brock's feelings to it. He'll have to deal with his own nerves by himself.

**LovinCowboy84: **So you'd be okay if your ex showed up for the double date wearing the same outfit that he wore when he took you out for your date.

**RamblinRedRose: **Sure. It wasn't a date. It was just a birthday dinner between friends.

**LovinCowboy84: **Sure it was. I'm a guy. I know that something more went on between you two than you're telling me.

**RamblinRedRose: **No, it did not! He's married. Don't be ridiculous! We're just friends. I've known him for twenty-eight years. It's easy for us to continue to be good friends because we're known each other for so long.

**LovinCowboy84: **Fine. Everything is perfectly innocent. But I have a feeling that this whole thing is going to blow up right in your face.

**RamblinRedRose:** Everything is going to be fine. Just you wait and see.

Reba was determined to make this evening special. She wanted everything to be perfect. She was envisioning the date to be just as special as the anniversary date they had planned, except for the fact that Brock and Barbra Jean were tagging along. Reba felt the added pressure to help Brock make the evening special for Barbra Jean as well. She had enough trouble with her own love life to be expected to help Brock with his. She wanted to see Brock happy and she hoped that this date wasn't too uncomfortable for him. She wanted a love life, but she didn't want to rub it in Brock's face. By this time, Reba had settled on a nickname for LovinCowboy84.

She had to give him a name, even if she didn't know what his real name was. Paige and Lori Ann teased her about that. She came up with Luke as her nickname for him. At first, she used the initials LC for LovinCowboy, then she came up with Luke from LC. She was amazed at how well he could read her by now. He'd known that something else had happened, but that could've been because he was a guy and he knew that guys always think about a date ending in an invitation into a woman's bed. She'd hoped that Brock wouldn't be too uncomfortable with seeing her on a date with Mike, but the double date was his idea. She wondered what the evening would hold for the four of them. She also wondered if Lori Ann would be able to pull off their plan. Dr. Jack Morgan had to be taught a lesson. Reba wondered if she was the one who was about to learn a lesson herself...

What will happen to Reba and Brock after this double date? What will happen between Brock and Barbra Jean on the date? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock now that Mike is in the picture? What is Lori Ann and Reba's plan for Dr. Morgan? Who will Lori Ann end up with? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

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	32. Double dating

_Dear Readers-_

_Congratulations to Reba. She had a really awesome day! It must feel so incredible to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame._

_It's finally September 2008 in the story! Spoiler: Lori Ann is the next to find love, but with which guy? This is a woman who hasn't had the best experience with relationships. Most of her relationships haven't been healthy ones. Will a new relationship change that for her?_

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! It would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Brock smiled and continued the drive into the city. The days flew by and Reba was busy preparing for her date with Mike. She talked about it with LovinCowboy84. It was Friday and Reba was in the computer lab studying when she noticed that Lovin Cowboy84 was online. It was an hour before lunchtime. She was supposed to meet Mike for lunch after studying.

**LovinCowboy84: **So let me get this straight, you bought a special dress for your anniversary dinner in Oklahoma and then wore it for a special dinner with your ex-husband. Now you're going to wear it for a date with your Oklahoma boyfriend and you're double dating with the ex-husband. This has disaster written all over it.

**RamblinRedRose: **It doesn't have to be. This is going to be a fun evening. I bought the dress for a date with Mike and I'm wearing it for a date with Mike. Brock and Mike are friends. I am friends with Brock's wife so this will be a nice night out with friends. Brock is not the most romantic guy. He wants a chance to patch things up with his wife so at least he'll learn a thing or two from Mike.

**LovinCowboy84: **I hate to break it to you, honey, but that's not how it works. You might be able to get these guys to be civil to each other, but you are not going to get them to be buddies in one night. No guy is going to like the guy who's dating his ex-wife.

**RamblinRedRose: **It's been six years since the divorce. I've dated since the divorce. This is someone that I dated long before I ever dated Brock. It'll be fine. Brock was at our wedding. This isn't anything new for him.

**LovinCowboy84:** Have you asked him about how he feels about this?

**RamblinRedRose: **No. I don't need to. We have an understanding. I'm helping him save his marriage. He promised to be nice to Mike and become friends with him again. If he doesn't, then he'll be forced to live elsewhere and that's how it's done.

**LovinCowboy84: **By forcing his cooperation. You're a gem of a friend, aren't you? I'll bet that you're a really scary ex-wife.

**RamblinRedRose: **Only when I have to be. He asked for my help so I offered my help with some conditions. That's the only way that it will work out. This is one time when I will force Brock to behave himself. At least his behavior should impress his wife. We both need this night to work out so it will. I don't want to talk to him anymore about it. I'm nervous enough about my date to add Brock's feelings to it. He'll have to deal with his own nerves by himself.

**LovinCowboy84: **So you'd be okay if your ex showed up for the double date wearing the same outfit that he wore when he took you out for your date.

**RamblinRedRose: **Sure. It wasn't a date. It was just a birthday dinner between friends.

**LovinCowboy84: **Sure it was. I'm a guy. I know that something more went on between you two than you're telling me.

**RamblinRedRose: **No, it did not! He's married. Don't be ridiculous! We're just friends. I've known him for twenty-eight years. It's easy for us to continue to be good friends because we're known each other for so long.

**LovinCowboy84: **Fine. Everything is perfectly innocent. But I have a feeling that this whole thing is going to blow up right in your face.

**RamblinRedRose:** Everything is going to be fine. Just you wait and see.

Reba was determined to make this evening special. She wanted everything to be perfect. She was envisioning the date to be just as special as the anniversary date they had planned, except for the fact that Brock and Barbra Jean were tagging along. Reba felt the added pressure to help Brock make the evening special for Barbra Jean as well. She had enough trouble with her own love life to be expected to help Brock with his. She wanted to see Brock happy and she hoped that this date wasn't too uncomfortable for him. She wanted a love life, but she didn't want to rub it in Brock's face. By this time, Reba had settled on a nickname for LovinCowboy84.

She had to give him a name, even if she didn't know what his real name was. Paige and Lori Ann teased her about that. She came up with Luke as her nickname for him. At first, she used the initials LC for LovinCowboy, and then she came up with Luke from LC. She was amazed at how well he could read her by now. He'd known that something else had happened, but that could've been because he was a guy and he knew that guys always think about a date ending in an invitation into a woman's bed. She'd hoped that Brock wouldn't be too uncomfortable with seeing her on a date with Mike, but the double date was his idea. She wondered what the evening would hold for the four of them. She also wondered if Lori Ann would be able to pull off their plan. Dr. Jack Morgan had to be taught a lesson. Reba wondered if she was the one who was about to learn a lesson herself...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 31 in the present year of the story- September 2008 with Reba facing major changes in her life. Things between Reba and Brock returned to normal. She was settling into college life. Lori Ann moved back to Houston. Jack Morgan was still bothering Reba. Lori Ann set Reba up with a blind date with Mike Holliway. He showed up with a video that Lori Ann made for them. The end of the video revealed a secret conspiracy against Reba and Mike. **

**Kim got Brock and Terry involved in a plot to stop Reba and Mike's wedding twenty-five years ago. Brock broke up the couple so he could have Reba for himself. Terry had been in an on and off relationship with Lori Ann through the years, but she didn't know the secret until Terry revealed it on the video before his death. Surprisingly enough, it seems that Lori Ann did know about Terry's relationship with Kim and she wasn't too angry about it. Reba's previous attempts to shield Lori Ann from that news were futile. In Vegas, there were two men who wanted Reba: Mike and Brock. Brock plotted to ruin her wedding and relationship in order to get her alone in the hotel suite. Reba planned to get Mike in that hotel suite herself. **

**The question is which man ended up with Reba after she got drunk? Who was the man who was in bed with Reba that morning? **

**What will happen to Reba and Brock after this double date? What will happen between Brock and Barbra Jean on the date? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock now that Mike is in the picture? What is Lori Ann and Reba's plan for Dr. Morgan? Who will Lori Ann end up with? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Brock backs off on pursuing Reba at her request. He is waiting for his divorce to be final. Reba starts college. Mike Holliway comes back into their lives. Reba and Mike get to know each other again. Reba and Mike go on a double date with Brock and Barbra Jean. Lori Ann helps Reba get Dr. Jack Morgan off her back. Dr. Jack Morgan was in a relationship with his ex-wife, Cheryl again while pursuing Reba. Reba and Lori Ann plan for Lori Ann to seduce Jack and be caught by Cheryl. Stay tuned for Cheryl's reaction to Jack's infidelity._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba went through her closet to find that special dress that she last wore three months ago. Mike just dropped her off from school and went back to his apartment to get ready for their date. Reba only had an hour or so before he would be back to pick her up. Reba was nervous. Things didn't go so well last time when she was in McAlester. Things were going really well between them here in Houston now so she wasn't as nervous as she was back in June when she was preparing for her trip to Oklahoma. Reba still wanted to settle her nerves.

She also wanted to be the knockout that he deserved, the knockout image that she presented to Brock before. Finally, she thought of the perfect solution to calm her nerves. Reba didn't waste a minute in stripping off her clothes while the tub filled with steamy water. She dumped a half a bottle of perfumed bath salts into the tub. Reba spent thirty minutes luxuriating in the water, soaping, rinsing, and shampooing, and when she emerged from the tub she felt like a new person again. As she towel-dried her hair, she glanced into the closet. That was when she saw the dress.

It was the same Indian/Gypsy dress that she wore on the date with Brock. The square-cut, strapless bodice was made of lavender silk and the three tiered skirt was fashioned of row upon row of different bands of silk ranging in color from lavender to mauve to palest pink. A huge black chiffon rose with lavender and gold center was nestled at the waist. She also had a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals to match the dress. She felt desirable, sensual, and even beautiful all over again.

The thought that Brock would see her this way again unnerved her. She bought the dress for her trip to Oklahoma. She'd intended to wear it for Mike. She shouldn't have worn it for Brock in the first place. She pushed those unwanted memories of that night from her mind, but a nagging question entered her mind. Why did she wear such a thing to go out with Brock? As she put the final touches on her look for the evening, she gazed at the dress, her damp, curling hair, and the spellbound smile on her face. She shook off the eerily similar way that she had felt before. She couldn't be excited about wearing this again in front of Brock. That was not allowed. She silently prayed that tonight would go well.

She felt like Reba McKinney again, the girl with hope¸ promise¸ and a heart full of love. That girl would've cherished this night. Darn Brock, he's always getting in the way when she tries to move on with her life. She was willing to take responsibility for part of what happened between them. After all, it takes two to tango, so to speak. Reba reviewed the facts in her mind. She ordered the margaritas. She set the DVR for the movie so they wouldn't have to rush home. She'd flirted with Brock.

She hugged him during karaoke. Her lips lingered during their accidental kiss. She'd led him into the Rain Latin Lounge to dance. She let him kiss her outside of the nightclub. She kissed him back. They were standing there in front of the nightclub making out in the rain where anyone could see them. Reba didn't even care at the time.

She'd let Brock see her naked when she wasn't even comfortable looking at herself naked in her full length mirror. She let him make love to her in her bed, and then she came up with that ridiculous idea of a fantasy weekend. She was wrong to tempt fate and force Brock into betraying his own wife. Tonight, she would fix all of her problems. She'd help get Brock and Barbra Jean's marriage back on the right track. She'd get Dr. Jack Morgan off her back forever and she'd finally get Mike Holliway to make the next move. They were just a little more than friends at the moment.

She was ready for a real relationship with him at last. This relationship would be one that Kim and Brock wouldn't ruin for them. She paused on the stairs as she saw Brock standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her breath caught in her chest for a moment and her hand flew up over her heart. He was wearing the same white cotton shirt, blue-gray silk tie, white sharkskin pants, and white shoes that he wore on their date three months ago. She felt a pang in her heart. She tried not to reveal how shaken she was by his appearance.

After all, this was what she wanted. She wanted him to patch things up with Barbra Jean. She wanted Mike Holliway back. They had to forget about that night and move on. She just didn't know that moving on would actually feel like this. She felt jealous and resentful while also feeling a strange longing for him at the same time. She shook off these feelings when she saw Kyra enter the living room. Reba casually walked down the stairs past Brock to hug her.

"Hi, Kyra. I'm glad to see you, but what are you doin' here?"

"My parents are going out on a double date with other people. Do you think that I'm gonna miss this? Besides Dad asked me to watch Henry and Barbra Jean wanted her house empty tonight."

"Oh well, I guess that makes sense. If these two are goin' on one of their famous divorce dates, then I guess they'll need privacy for that."

"I don't even like thinking about it. The idea of my parents having sex lives really creeps me out."

"Honey, when you're in your forties, then you won't find it so odd. That's when you'll understand."

"That brings me to my next topic of conversation. I know that you're having a midlife crisis, but could you not have it at school? People are talking about what you did in Professor Crews' class today."

"It wasn't that big of a deal. It was part of Lori Ann's plan to get Dr. Morgan off my back."

Brock took a sip of his beer. "What did your mother do that was so bad? You need to be more respectful of her¸ you know? She worked hard to get back into school." He responded and then took another sip of his beer.

"What part of the plan was it to be making out in the back row of the lecture hall? Dr. Crews asked me if Reba McKinney-Hart was related to me. It was the first time that I'd ever wished I wasn't."

Brock was so shocked at what Kyra said that he spit his drink out at Reba. Reba sat there wiping the liquid off her face while Brock struggled to conceal a laugh. "So the shoe is on the other foot now." He turned to Kyra. "You shouldn't ever say things like that to your mother."

"It's okay, Brock. It was a pretty embarrassing scene. I found out that Dr. Crews is friends with Dr. Morgan. Mike wanted to make it perfectly clear that I was off limits to Jack Morgan. It had to look genuine. We took it a little too far, but we achieved our objective."

"I heard that his hands were all over you and your lips were glued to his for practically an hour this morning."

Brock and Kyra stood there with their arms crossed, looking mad at Reba.

"Excuse me, but my parents live in Oklahoma. I can do whatever I want, anytime I want. Just so you know- Mike and I do not normally act like that. We are taking our relationship slow."

"I'm glad that my money isn't paying for that type of thing. You wanted a college education."

"And I'm getting one. I appreciate the help with the money, but you can't tell me what to do. Anyway, look who I'm talkin' to, the original drunken frat boy. You got accepted into dental school here, but you failed your spring classes and your other grades from Oklahoma were so bad that you fell a year behind. I worked hard to put you through your last year of college so you could go to dental school. I worked to pay your tuition and the bills while having a baby. I even studied with you so you could pass your classes. I can't believe that I'm talkin' to ya about this. You spent so much time getting high, partyin' with your friends, and sleepin' around while you were in college in Oklahoma. I don't even know how you had the time to ruin my life while you were so busy ruinin' yours."

"There she goes. Now we're gonna talk about it. I wondered when that was gonna happen."

"I'm gonna go now."

"No, you stay right where you are. You are almost nineteen years old. You are old enough to hear this. I want a witness. Your mother only likes to see things her way."

"Great parenting, Brock. Putting Kyra right in the middle like this."

"She's an adult. Sometimes she's the only adult in this family."

"What are you trying to say about me, Brock?"

"That you act like all of this just happened to ya. Your life is ruined? Would you consider this ruined? Take some responsibility for the choices that you made. You chose a life with me. I didn't force ya to be with me. Take a look around. This doesn't look ruined to me. It looks like a pretty great life that you've got goin' here."

"I'm grateful for the life that you worked hard to provide all those years ago. I really am, but if I'd made different choices, then I'd be a lot happier. I'll admit that. That is my fault, but you haven't even taken responsibility for what you've done." Reba turned towards Kyra. "Kyra honey, I'm gonna ask ya a personal question. Pretend that I'm not your mother and give me the truth. I promise not to judge ya. Have ya had sex yet?"

Kyra's cheeks flushed. "Wow, Mom! Way to be direct. You always told me to wait for love and marriage. I'm trying to wait."

A satisfied smirk was on Reba's face. "See I did a good job on my own all these years. She waited."

"With Cheyenne and Van as examples of teen sex, who wouldn't? Look at them."

Reba smiled and hugged Kyra. "Have I told ya that you're my favorite? Now honey, I waited, too. I was waiting for my wedding night. I planned a beautiful wedding with a perfect wedding night. Mike and I had planned on startin' a family. Your father lied to ruin my wedding." She turned to face Brock. "You knew how much it all meant to me, but you didn't care. You have always only cared about your own selfish needs first. That night was supposed to be somethin' that I'd remember for the rest of my life. I can't even remember that night. I only remember the nightmare of being pregnant and alone. My baby deserved a much better life than the one that he got."

Kyra interjected. "I think that this is the first time that you two have spoken about him in front of any of us kids. This is actually looking to be a pretty good day. Princess Cheyenne is not the oldest anymore. We have another brother." Kyra smiled.

"John was your half-brother like Henry is. I'm glad that you're takin' this so well."

"Sure. This family always has room for more. We let Barbra Jean into our family, didn't we?" Kyra quipped.

Reba smiled and hugged Kyra again. "We're got some pretty terrific kids, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do." Brock responded, moving to hug Reba and Kyra.

Barbra Jean walked in through the front door. "Knock, knock."

Barbra Jean was wearing a royal blue polyester sleeveless chiffon dress with a satin neckline and shirred waist. It had a lightly molded bust, mid-length hem, and back zipper closure. She also had a pair of strappy silver open-toed high heels to match the dress.

Reba pulled away from the two. "Barbra Jean, you look very nice."

"Thank you, Reba."

Reba nudged Brock with an elbow to his side. "I have some flowers for you, Barbra Jean." He began.

Brock handed Barbra Jean a large assortment of sunflowers and spray roses in yellow tones. "This was really sweet. Thank you, Brock."

Mike arrived at the door next. He handed Reba an assortment of twelve soft lavender roses with calming baby blue eucalyptus in a rectangular glass vase and trimmed with a pretty lavender ribbon bow. Reba put her hand to his cheek. "These are beautiful. Thank you."

"I've got more presents."

"More presents?"

"Yeah, this was the date to replace our anniversary date, right?"

Mike was wearing a black suit with a three-button, single-breasted jacket with natural shoulders, fronts without darts, flap pockets, a center vent and trousers with plain fronts. He also wore a black Ottoman tie and black shoes. Reba looked over Mike's look and smiled.

"I guess. I'd better go get mine." Reba ran upstairs to get her anniversary gifts for Mike. She went to her bedroom closet to grab her gifts quickly. She returned downstairs in record time.

Mike opened the first box. It was a royal blue t-shirt. Mike read the message on the shirt. "Look but don't touch." He turned the shirt over and read the message on the back. "Property of a jealous redhead." He laughed.

"It wasn't meant to be a joke gift, you know." Reba said with her hands on her hips.

"It's funny because of the fight that we had three months ago. I'm supposed to be the jealous one, but I guess you're jealous, too."

"I wanted to stake my claim on you. I wanted everyone to know that you were taken. I wanted it to say jealous wife, but I wasn't sure if we were getting married that night or not."

Brock and Barbra Jean turned to stare at Reba with complete surprise on their faces. Reba heard Brock's sharp intake of breath. She pretended not to understand the look on Brock's face. She continued the exchange with Mike.

"My turn." Mike handed Reba a jewelry box.

She opened it and gasped. "My grandmother's locket. How did you get this?"

"She gave it to me. Open it." Mike urged Reba to look inside the locket where she found a picture of her baby, John. "Your grandmother calls him 'the blessed O'Hara', whatever that means."

"I'll explain that to you sometime, I swear, but not tonight. I love this so much!" She brushed her lips against his as he spoke. It was quick because she realized that they had an audience. "Well, I got one of your gifts from my grandmother also." She handed him a small rectangular box.

Mike opened the box and was instantly surprised. "Your grandfather's watch."

Reba smiled and nodded. "I gave that to Papa for his birthday when I was eight."

"I remember. He always wore it and never took it off."

"Read the inscription on the back."

"With Love, Little Red."

"He was the only one to call me Little Red, except you. As soon as you found out that it bugged me, you ran around callin' me Little Red. You were so annoying when you were ten." Reba said and gently shoved him in the shoulder.

"And you were always beautiful, even back then. You are even more beautiful when you're mad."

Reba rolled her eyes at the compliment. "Is sweet talkin' gonna be the theme of the evening? If so, I'll let ya know now that it won't impress me. Please just be yourself. You're nervous and I'm nervous and that's okay. Put on your watch and then help me get the locket on."

Mike quickly got the watch on his wrist before helping Reba put the locket on. Once Reba had the locket on, the front door opened on its own and wind flew around Mike and Reba. Reba's ruby red locks started glowing. The wind kicked at her curls. She suddenly had a wild and reckless look of beauty about her. A smile of enchantment touched her lips. She raised her hand up. With a brief wave, the door shut quickly. Reba touched Mike's cheek to get him to focus on her and not the sudden movement of the door or the fact that the wind had stopped.

"This reminds me of the time when we were little and you threatened to turn me into a frog," Mike said jokingly.

Reba was filled with panic when she realized how he could put two and two together to find out the one small detail that she left out about herself from everyone. She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Like I could really do that. Should I put ya in the same category with all of the other frogs that I've dated? Kim said it once too. It must be the effect that you had on girls back then. Well, aren't you gonna kiss me? After I said that the first time, you kissed me. It only lasted about a minute, but I remember it very well."

Mike cut off her words with a kiss. It was very brief. She literally felt a feeling of electricity surging through them. Mike pulled away, startled. "You shocked me. Wow, that hasn't happened in awhile. That was some kiss."

Reba's fingers ran over her lips. "It's been about twenty-five years. It's an interesting coincidence on a night like this."

Before anyone else could say anything, their cell phones rang. Paige was calling Reba's cell phone and Kim was calling Mike's cell phone. "Another romantic moment ruined by our phones ringing. Can I please answer your phone? You can answer mine. I want to talk to Kim." Reba responded. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. She held her hand out and they exchanged phones.

"Hello, Kim. Mike can't come to the phone right now because I'm wearing the Victoria's Secret lingerie and we're about to have sex. You'll have to call him back tomorrow because we'll be busy all night long." Reba had to hold the phone away from her ear because Kim was squealing in delight. Reba was puzzled by Kim's reaction. "Bye." Reba ended the call. "I said it once and I'll say it again. Your ex-wife is completely looney toons."

"Which one?" Mike answered with a smirk.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Holliway. You have to understand how weird it is for the woman who stole my husband to want to suddenly do everything in her power to help us get back together. What type of ex-wife helps him win back the love of another woman? It's creepy and unnatural."

"I don't know. I think that it sounds sweet to me. She's only tryin' to be a friend and help you out." Barbra Jean interjected.

"Look who's talkin'. You're just as crazy as she is, BJ. Have fun helping Brock find his next wife."

Brock's expression clouded with anger. "That was completely uncalled for, Reba!"

At this point, Reba was very confused and frustrated. "I hate Kim Holliway! She's nothin' but a tramp and a she-devil!" she shouted at Mike.

Suddenly the back door starts opening and closing on its own, banging against the hinges. Icy fear twisted around her heart. She tried to keep her fragile control. Reba couldn't stop herself from jumping into Mike's arms for a brief moment. Then she regained control of her emotions and took actions. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I shouted. I don't hate Kim anymore! She's not a tramp or a she-devil!" Reba spoke loudly. The back door closed and remained closed. The house was quiet.

"What was that? Is your house haunted, Reba?" Barbra Jean asked in a choked voice.

"Yes, Barbra Jean. It appears as if my house is haunted." Reba replied, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

"I can't stay here. You know how I feel about ghosts. Brock, come and get me at my house when it's time to go." Barbra Jean was shaking as she spoke. She turned and ran out of Reba's house.

Reba and Mike forgot about Paige's call on her cell phone until that moment. "Will someone please answer me? What is going on over there?"

Reba took the call. "Hi, Paige. I've felt Terry's presence in my house for awhile now. I insulted Kim and he took offense to it. I get to be the lucky one because Terry has unfinished business with me. Mike and I were exchanging gifts and we got interrupted by phone calls from you and Kim. We're about to go out now. What do you want?"

"I'll get all the juicy details later. Right now, I'm not the one who wants to talk to ya. Kyra called here this afternoon to talk to Dad. You're in big trouble."

Reba turned to face Kyra. "Kyra, did ya call your grandpa today in McAlester?"

"Yeah, I figured that someone should talk to you about the way that you've been acting." There was defiance in Kyra's tone as well as subtle challenge.

Brock's mouth quirked with humor. Brock threw his head back and roared with laughter. Reba's eyes were stony with anger.

"You are so lucky that you don't live in this house right now." Reba said to Kyra.

Reba didn't have time to react further because she suddenly heard her father's voice coming through the phone.

"Hi, daddy! It's nice to hear your voice."

"Yes, Mike is right here. We're gettin' ready to go out on a date. In fact, we're goin' out with Brock and his wife. Everything is fine. Everyone is gettin' along fine."

Reba handed the phone to Mike. "He wants to talk to you. He wants to know what your intentions are towards me."

"Hello, sir."

"I really love your daughter and your opinion means a great deal to her. I've told you that before."

"I would like your permission to date your daughter. I would also like your permission to marry her when we're ready."

"Sir, we would've been married properly a long time ago if we'd had the support of our family and friends. I should've married her twenty-five years ago."

"Yes, sir. I do respect her. I have never coerced her into doing anything wrong. We do plan on having a family together, but we're waiting until we get married. We might even be married as early as December."

Reba took the phone from Mike. "Dad, I am a grown woman. I make my own decisions and I have loved him my whole life. Please try to understand."

"Brock is fine with this. I swear everyone is getting along well. What happened today was just a trick on someone. It was really more innocent than it sounded. School is goin' really great!"

"Yes, nothing would make me happier. Thank you." Reba smiled and handed the phone back to Mike.

"Hello. Yes, I see. I promise. I give you my word. Thank you, sir."

The phone call ended. Mike picked Reba up and swung her around. She laughed. "We are in the clear. He's happy and we're happy." He put her back down on her feet again.

Reba looked at Kyra again. "Young lady, we are gonna have a long talk tomorrow. You are never gonna interfere like that again." Reba linked arms with Mike and walked outside.

"You wanna make a bet." Kyra commented.

"That's my girl! Keep up the good work!" Brock responded, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"How much longer are you gonna keep playing along with what Mom wants? This has got to be hard on you. You and Barbra Jean are over. Why don't ya just tell Mom the truth?"

"Your mother has a clear idea of what's right and what's wrong. She does not want me to divorce Barbra Jean and she's not gonna change her mind about that. There's nothing more that I can do, honey."

"Then why don't ya just attack Mom already and get it over with?"

"I've done everything that I can possibly do. If I don't go along with what she says, then she'll kick me out of here. I can't let that happen. As long as I am here, I've got a better chance than if she kicks me out."

"I forgave you a long time ago and so has everyone else, Dad. You just have to give her time and figure out new ways to get through to her. You can count on the rest of us to help you as much as we can."

"You mean that everyone else is in on this, too."

"We figured that something was up when you paid us to go to Six Flags for an entire weekend. You wanted to be alone with her. I'm sorry that it didn't work. We'll figure something else out. We have to. I figure that if she actually marries this guy, then she'll end up moving to Oklahoma. I don't want her to go. If she leaves, we won't be a family anymore. Dad, you've got to fix this."

"I'm trying, honey. I really am. I'm doing anything and everything that I can think of. If you kids come up with anything else, then I'm all ears." Brock said, hugging his daughter.

Brock drove both couples to the restaurant in his SUV. Mike had selected Ruth's Chris Steak House for dinner and the Wild West club for karaoke and dancing afterwards. Brock and Mike both appreciated a good Texas steak and Mike chosen a country western bar for Reba. He wanted the evening to be good for her. He definitely had a more intimate evening in mind for their June date back in Oklahoma, but this was what Reba wanted so he was prepared to make sure that everyone had a good time. He was intrigued by Brock's wife. He looked at Barbra Jean and Reba side by side. He didn't understand how Brock could have possibly chosen her over Reba, but Barbra Jean was sweet and obviously adored Brock and Reba.

They seemed to make the odd situation work for everyone. He loved how Reba put the kids first. That was something lacking in his other ex-wife, Kim. When he compared Barbra Jean to the fiery redhead, the differences were striking. The blonde just didn't seem to sparkle like Reba did. Reba wasn't afraid to show emotion. She had a colorful personality that could sometimes be challenging to deal with, but he wouldn't trade her for anything. The way that Mike saw it, Brock was an idiot, plain and simple. There was no other explanation for why he let Reba get away, especially after he'd work so hard to separate her from Mike.

Mike looked at Reba and kissed her hand. She put her hand over his during the meal. Brock alternated between looking at Reba and looking at Barbra Jean. He was supposed to be focusing on Barbra Jean, but he couldn't help to glance at Reba when he could. He didn't want to be caught openly eyeing her with Mike. He noticed that Reba had a smile that seemed painted on her face when she looked at Brock and Barbra Jean, but had a genuine smile for Mike. This made Brock feel conflicted. He was jealous because he wanted Reba's smiles to be for him, but he was glad that Reba wasn't happy to watch Brock with Barbra Jean. She got what she said that she wanted, but she didn't seem too happy about it.

Despite the conflicting silent emotions within Brock and Reba, conversation between the two couples flowed smoothly. Reba was shocked to find how easy it was to fit into this relationship dynamic again with Brock. She was with Mike and Brock was just a friend. This seemed to work well. The guys were getting along well. Still she felt emotions of jealousy rising within her as she watched Brock interacting with Barbra Jean. He was doing what she told him to do. He seemed to be genuinely trying to make a relationship with Barbra Jean work.

Reba fought the impulse to stare daggers into Brock every time he touched Barbra Jean- putting his arm(s) around her, touching her hand, holding her close. Reba didn't know what she'd do if she had to watch him kiss her. She'd heard about their divorce dates. She knew that displays of public affection between the couple would happen any time now. She just didn't want a front row seat for it. She was confused about why Brock would tell her that he wanted her and then make a sudden change in affection from intimacy with her to intimacy with Barbra Jean. He wouldn't be home tonight. He wouldn't be sleeping on the other side of her wall. She didn't know how to feel about that.

She was happy when dinner was over so they could get to the Wild West bar. She wanted to sing and dance. She wanted to execute her plan and get the hunky doctor busted. She wanted a distraction from having to watch Brock and Barbra Jean out on a date. Barbra Jean was openly affectionate. She adored her husband. Brock actually seemed to be the husband that she'd always hoped that he'd be. It was too late for her, but not too late for Barbra Jean. She wanted to be happy for her friend, so why did she feel so hurt?

It felt like a betrayal even though it wasn't. She told him to make up with his wife. It was the right thing to do. The right thing to do was never easy. She'd been doing it for most of her life, but she never found much happiness in it. She had been raised with these firm beliefs. She'd raised her children on these beliefs. She would not turn her back on them now. She was the role model and the one who held this family together.

She would not be the one who tore it apart. Henry deserved to grow up in a happy home with two loving parents. It would not be a good example for Van and Cheyenne if they saw the adults going through two divorces in such a short time. Marriage was a sacred bond. Brock had to learn that sometimes. If Reba could help him become a better man, then she would. She would be his best friend. She'd hoped that they'd stay friends for the rest of their lives. She didn't want to lose that connection with him too.

Reba spotted Lori Ann next to Jack Morgan at the bar as soon as they entered the nightclub. The plan was for all of them not to acknowledge Lori Ann as a friend. She was a stranger who happened to be hitting on Dr. Jack Morgan. The man in question approached their table soon as they arrived.

"Good evening, Reba. How are you?"

"I'm fine. This is my boyfriend, Mike Holliway. Mike, this is Dr. Jack Morgan. He used to be Brock and Barbra Jean's marriage counselor."

"I also used to date Reba. In fact, we've been dating recently." Jack replied smugly.

"That's not exactly true. We've dated before, but we broke up six months ago." Reba explained to Mike. "Jack, this is Mike. He's my ex from Oklahoma, John's father."

Jack's face changes as he processes this information. "This is that guy. He's the one that you've been seen around town with lately?"

"Yes. We're getting married in December and we're planning on havin' a baby together. I understand that we have you to thank for our reunion. Reba tells me that you helped her through some of her issues with the death of our son. Thank you for being there for her when she needed someone." Mike answered.

"Believe me, it was not a problem. She is a wonderful, caring woman. She just needed someone to talk to. I'm a therapist so it was easy to help her talk things out." Jack commented.

His face had fallen because he'd realized that he would never be able to win Reba's heart. It had always belonged to this mysterious ex of hers. Now he had the proof with his own eyes. The man didn't seem to be able to keep his hands off Reba right in front of Brock. He had been Brock's therapist before. He knew of Brock's lingering feelings for his ex-wife. He knew that if Reba was in a committed relationship with another man with Brock's blessing, then it must be the real thing. He knew from what Reba told him that this man was her first love and the love of her life.

"Hi, Dr. Morgan. Do you wanna dance?" Barbra Jean asked.

"Barbra Jean, you are with Brock and Dr. Morgan seems to be on a date himself." Reba said to Barbra Jean before addressing Jack Morgan. "Where's Cheryl? Does she know that you're out with your latest floozy?"

"Yeah, that one looks like some desperate middle-aged tramp." Brock remarked. He was thoroughly enjoying this plan of Reba's.

"Ignore them. How about a dance for old time's sake?" Barbra Jean asked him again.

"Okay, Barbra Jean. Just a quick one. I don't want to leave my new lady too long."

Barbra Jean took Jack's hand and led him out on the dance floor.

"Watch out, Brock! It looks like you have some competition." Reba teased.

"Is she actually interested in that guy?" Mike queried.

"Yeah, she gets crushes on different men all the time. Brock has learned to put up with a lot from her over the years."

Mike was puzzled by this. He knew Brock well for many years. Why would he put up with behavior like that from his own wife?"

"What can I say? She's a complex woman. I never know what she's gonna do next. We're on a break right now so I'm givin' her space."

"Mike, Brock is not a jealous man. You could learn something from that."

"Are we gonna go there tonight, Sal?"

Reba folded her arms. "Yeah, why not? You have no reason to be jealous. I love ya, you mo-ron." She slapped him in the back of the head.

"You came out to Oklahoma to be with me. You went out with Paige, Kim, and Lori Ann for your birthday and went wild. You went to Thornton's club in Ada. How could you not know that he wouldn't be there? The guy is nuts about ya. He's the richest man in Oklahoma and you've slept with him. We were separated for almost three years that time. I thought that we were gonna get married. You were kissin' another man two days before we were supposed to get married."

"I was drunk on a dare. I was out havin' fun. I had no idea that he'd be there. It's been twenty-four years. I didn't even remember that he owned the club. I didn't even think that he'd remember me."

"How could any man forget about sleepin' with you? That would not be somethin' that a man forgets. Right, Brock?"

"Reba, he's got a point. No man would ever forget takin' you to bed."

Reba shot Brock a look of fury. "It was one night. It's not like I've never had casual sex before. I've even had casual sex while we've been broken up, Mike."

"That's great, Reba. Just rub it in."

"You went on a date with your ex-wife. How did that night end up for ya? That woman is a revolving door."

Brock snickered.

"Don't laugh, Brock. You went through that revolving door back in the day yourself."

Brock retained his affability, but there was a distinct hardening of his eyes.

"Reba, I swear nothing happened."

Reba held her hand up. "That's okay. I don't want ya to tell me what you think that I want to hear. I don't wanna get into this with ya. How about we adopt a don't ask, don't tell policy for this. We were broken up so it doesn't matter."

"No way. I know about things like this with ya. You are gonna let this fester until you can't take it anymore. You are just as jealous as I am."

"Okay. We were broken up so I felt free to do whatever I wanted. I am going through a midlife crisis. I've had casual sex a few times in the past three months. So let me have it."

Mike took Reba's hands in his. "You have commitment issues. I knew this. I also know that it wouldn't have happened if we hadn't fought three months ago. If we hadn't fought, we'd be married right now. If I made a federal case outta this, then we'd have to go through our sexual histories for every time we've had sex with other people for the past six years. I don't wanna do that. I don't want to argue about this."

"I agree. Why don't you get up there and sing to me?"

Mike stepped up to the stage to sing.

**You're a lady; you're an angel,  
Bringin' sunshine to my life.  
You're closest thing to Heaven that I've ever had.  
Oh, but sometimes, you're a devil,  
When you reach out and dim the lights,  
An' mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.**

You would never hurt anybody.  
You're too gentle, sweet, and kind,  
Still I keep on doin' things that make you sad.  
But you don't hold out on your feelin's,  
When there's lovin' on your mind.  
An' mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.

I could say that you're the perfect woman,  
if you're not, it's just because of me.  
'Cause I'm hung up on the perfect woman,

**An' I don't know how I deserve to be.**

I see other pretty women.  
Lord, they still look good to me.  
An' there are some ladies that can drive some men mad.  
But when an angel lets her hair down,  
oh, that's something else to see.  
An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.

An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.

While Mike was singing, Reba kept her eyes on him. Brock wanted to talk to Reba while they had a minute alone.

"So three months ago, you were gonna get married? When were you plannin' on telling me? Were you just gonna come home married? What was supposed to happen?"

"I'm gonna keep my eyes on Mike so he doesn't know that anythin' is wrong. I also don't want him to know who I had casual sex with. I don't want Mike or Barbra Jean to find out and give them a reason to distrust us together because nothin' like that is ever gonna happen again. It was a surprise decision, a romantic impulse for Mike and me. We hadn't made any decisions about where we were gonna live or anythin' like that. I didn't know that he was plannin' on moving to Houston. It didn't happen so I didn't tell ya. If it happened, I would've come home and said 'Surprise, I'm married'. You should be happy because it didn't happen, instead somethin' happened between us that shouldn't have happened. You got lucky when we were both vulnerable. I don't wanna talk about this anymore."

"What if I don't regret it? What if I wanna remember it? You are a wonderful woman, Reba."

"Okay. Fine. We can remember it. Whatever you want. But it doesn't have to ruin our relationships with other people. I like bein' friends with you. I don't want ya to lose your wife and I don't want to lose Mike. We are plannin' on havin' a child and a life together. I don't know how that is gonna work yet. You have a life with Barbra Jean to get back to. You don't want anythin' else. I sat down and talked with ya a few years ago.

You and I have moved in different directions. I really want this. I am connected to Mike in the same way that I am connected to you. Mike and I had a child together. We were a family and that life got taken from me. I can't move on. I haven't been able to for the last twenty-four years. I wanna move on from John's death in a positive way. I wanna raise a family with someone who loves me and can be a partner for me in every way. So I'm gonna tell ya what I told Terry all those years ago- I love him. I'm sorry, but I love him.

And now we've come full circle. If anything was gonna happen between us, it would've happen that night at the motel when we went back for Terry's funeral. I chose Mike that night because I love him. Love is a risk. It requires a leap of faith and I've been running scared. I'm not doin' that anymore. I'm ready to take the risk. My heart is ready to take the risk. Runnin' hasn't done me any good. All I've been doin' is wasting time by datin' losers like Brian and Jack Morgan when I've got the perfect guy waitin' for me."

Brock didn't have time to respond. Reba kept her eyes on Mike and her ears on the words that he was singing. When he was finished, Mike walked up to Reba. She hugged him and another wave of electricity flew through her. Her mind suddenly got a flash of memory.

**Flashback-"Shut up, Sal. Stop overanalyzing everything. Try focusing on what's right in front of you right now. I love you and I'm going to spend all night convincing you to follow your heart."**

**He seized her mouth in a fiery kiss. He backed her up against the wall near the bedroom.**

**Reba took a breath. "What in the heck do you think you're doing?"**

**"Driving you up the wall. Isn't that what you said that you wanted? You said that you wanted fierce, intense, and passionate lovemaking right up against the wall." Flashback ended.**

Reba seized Mike's lips by surprise. The kiss was quick and Reba put lots of passion into it. She pulled away and excused herself to the ladies' room. She turned around and saw Barbra Jean's lips locked on Jack Morgan. Lori Ann was no longer sitting at the bar. She pulled Barbra Jean off of Jack Morgan.

"Amazing Grace!" Barbra Jean began singing.

"Barbra Jean, let's go powder our noses." Reba pulled Barbra Jean away to the bathroom.

"Barbra Jean, are you crazy? Look who I'm talkin' to. Of course, you are. We have a plan of action here. You are on a date with Brock, your husband. Lori Ann is out with Jack Morgan tonight. She's gonna go with him back to his house. They're gonna go to bed together and get caught by Jack's ex-wife/girlfriend, Cheryl. Unless you'd like to become the w- of Babylon again."

"Hey, I'm not some kind of floozy. I'm just available and he's really hot." Lori Ann remarked.

"Lori Ann, you seduced a priest. You are a desperate, desperate woman. But you are right. He is lookin' so hot!"

"Hotter than Mike?"

"Mike is hot, maybe not as hot as Jack Morgan, but what he lacks in ultimate hotness, he makes up for in skill. He is very talented. He is better than Jack Morgan in the bedroom and that what counts."

"Is Jack Morgan better in the bedroom than Brock?" Barbra Jean asked excitedly.

"No. Believe me, it's all about him. He's not that good in my experience. At least, Brock pays attention to the other person's needs in bed."

"Don't you two have a rule? Is this breaking that rule?" Barbra Jean wondered.

"I didn't actually have intercourse with Jack. So that doesn't count and Lori Ann is free to have him."

"He's not a piece of meat." Barbra Jean responded.

"Says the woman who throws herself at him every chance she gets." Reba interjected.

"BJ, he is a very fine piece of meat. It's how he's treated women, so why shouldn't we treat him the same way?" Lori Ann explained.

"Everyone is gettin' lucky tonight, except me."

"Why, Reba?"

"Mike and I are takin' things slow. He wants to until we make some firm decisions about our future. We'll eventually get married and have babies. I just don't know when. He doesn't want us to get pregnant before we get married. We've done that too many times before. He wants everything to be special for us and it will be."

"What do you mean?"

"Brock gets married because he has to because there's a baby on the way."

"Are you serious? He did that to you too?"

"Yeah, with Cheyenne. We'd dated for just a couple of months when I got pregnant. Not exactly the best way to start a marriage. Brock doesn't make lifetime commitments because he wants to."

"He really loved you, Reba. When I first started working at the dental office, you were all that he would talk about."

"Ugh, I don't wanna hear that. You are killin' my mood here. I'm in the mood for meaningless sex with a hot guy. I dated Brock and there's a reason why we didn't have sex. Brock is a jerk. He's not sweet or hot, so consider yourself lucky that you got out while you still could, Reba."

"Well, I wanna get back out there. I wanna dance, drink, and sing. At the end of the night, I've got an awesome guy to make out with on my couch."

"That's a little high school via 1983, you know?" Lori Ann teased.

"Hey, 1983 was a very good year. Hey, Lori Ann! You could pretend that the hot jerk is Terry. Just close your eyes and think of Terry. When I was with him, I just closed my eyes and I thought of Mike after awhile. It works and he never knew that when I was callin' out Jack it wasn't for him."

Lori Ann and Reba laughed.

Lori Ann went back to join Jack at the bar. Reba wouldn't hear from Lori Ann again until the next day. Barbra Jean and Reba went back to join the guys at their table. Barbra Jean got Reba up on stage to sing karaoke with her. Reba danced and laughed. Barbra Jean asked Mike to dance, which left Reba to ask Brock to dance. Reba danced with Brock in awkward silence. Brock didn't mind that Reba didn't really want to dance with him. He was just grateful that he got to dance with Reba at least once that night, thanks to Barbra Jean.

Brock knew that persistence would work. He just had to stand by and take whatever opportunities opened up for him with Reba. He would be a friend and give her every chance to think about when they were together so she would second guess her decision to be with Mike. Barbra Jean told him about the conversation in the ladies' room. Brock had to smile. Reba said that he was better in bed than Jack Morgan. That was something to help him to stay in a good mood, despite having to watch Reba with Mike. He hated double dating with the two of them, but he wanted to impress Reba and make her uncomfortable at the same time. The plan was for Brock and Barbra Jean to keep on double dating with them. He wondered how long it would take to win Reba back...

What will happen to Reba and Brock after this double date? What will happen between Lori Ann and Jack on their date? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock now that Mike is in the picture? Will Dr. Morgan realize that he was set up by Lori Ann and Reba? Who will Lori Ann end up with? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

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	33. Meeting Paige

_Dear Readers-_

_Happy Memorial Day! I'm sorry that this chapter is late. I've had to work extra shifts this week. _

_I'm dedicating this week's chapter to the memory of my grandmother. She passed away on May 31, 1986. I've been thinking about her recently. I've modeled parts of Reba's grandmother's character after her. She was funny, strong, and the head of our family. I did change one part for this story. I imagined what my grandmother would do if she would've lived longer. My grandmother died when I was fourteen. In this story, Reba's grandfather died when she was fourteen. Her grandmother continues to live and guide her through her adult life._

_There's a new poll for this story this week. Please vote for your prediction for who LovinCowboy84 really is. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to know what you readers think. Have I left clues that helped you to figure out who he really is?_

_It's finally September 2008 in the story, but we're heading into October. Reba and Mike will have been dating for about a month now. My next mission is to help Barbra Jean find love. Yes, she stole a husband from Reba, but she has become Reba's best friend and she has a heart of gold._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! It would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- "He really loved you, Reba. When I first started working at the dental office, you were all that he would talk about." Barbra Jean explained.

"Ugh, I don't wanna hear that. You are killin' my mood here. I'm in the mood for meaningless sex with a hot guy. I dated Brock and there's a reason why we didn't have sex. Brock is a jerk. He's not sweet or hot, so consider yourself lucky that you got out while you still could, Reba." Lori Ann remarked.

"Well, I wanna get back out there. I wanna dance, drink, and sing. At the end of the night, I've got an awesome guy to make out with on my couch." Reba responded.

"That's a little high school via 1983, you know?" Lori Ann teased.

"Hey, 1983 was a very good year. Hey, Lori Ann! You could pretend that the hot jerk is Terry. Just close your eyes and think of Terry. When I was with Jack, I just closed my eyes and I thought of Mike after awhile. It works and he never knew that when I was callin' out the name Jack it wasn't for him."

Lori Ann and Reba laughed.

Lori Ann went back to join Jack at the bar. Reba wouldn't hear from Lori Ann again until the next day. Barbra Jean and Reba went back to join the guys at their table. Barbra Jean got Reba up on stage to sing karaoke with her. Reba danced and laughed. Barbra Jean asked Mike to dance, which left Reba to ask Brock to dance. Reba danced with Brock in awkward silence. Brock didn't mind that Reba didn't really want to dance with him. He was just grateful that he got to dance with Reba at least once that night, thanks to Barbra Jean.

Brock knew that persistence would work. He just had to stand by and take whatever opportunities opened up for him with Reba. He would be a friend and give her every chance to think about when they were together so she would second guess her decision to be with Mike. Barbra Jean told him about the conversation in the ladies' room. Brock had to smile. Reba said that he was better in bed than Jack Morgan. That was something to help him to stay in a good mood, despite having to watch Reba with Mike. He hated double dating with the two of them, but he wanted to impress Reba and make her uncomfortable at the same time. The plan was for Brock and Barbra Jean to keep on double dating with them. He wondered how long it would take to win Reba back...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 32 in the present year of the story- September 2008 with Reba double dating with Brock and Barbra Jean. Reba was nervous about her first date again with Mike. Kyra showed up and revealed some embarrassing information about Reba. She also told her grandfather in Oklahoma, leading to another embarrassing conversation between Reba, Mike, and JV. Mike smoothed everything over with JV. Brock and Reba argued about her recent behavior. She revealed that Brock wouldn't have made it through college and dental school if it weren't for her sacrifices. Brock resents it when Reba says that he ruined her life. **

**Kyra smoothed things over between Brock and Reba. Barbra Jean showed up and Brock gave her flowers. Mike showed up with flowers and gifts for Reba. Reba reveals her jealous side. Brock found out that Mike and Reba were supposed to get married in June when Reba went to Oklahoma. Mike gave Reba her grandmother's locket with a picture of baby John inside. Reba gave Mike her grandfather's watch with an inscription on it. They talk a little bit about their childhood. **

**When Mike put the locket on Reba, it set off something. It was the final thing that would release Reba's abilities once she'd decided to start casting spells again. Reba panics at the thought of Mike finding out about her abilities. She'd managed to keep that from him all of her life. Mike kissed her and the same electric feeling from all those years ago happened again. It's part of the magic, but Reba isn't causing it. It's one of the signs that Reba is really in love. It's part of her destiny. **

**Don't panic yet, readers. There are more signs coming. It's her destiny to have to choose between Brock and Mike. Reba talks about how weird it is for Kim to be working so hard to help bring Mike and Reba back together. When Reba commented on this, Barbra Jean defended Kim's actions. Brock got angry when Reba remarked about Barbra Jean helping him find his next wife. Reba made some angry comments about Kim that caused some angry spirit activity in the house. It turns out that Terry has unfinished business with Reba and is haunting her house. **

**Barbra Jean ran home terrified. Kyra and Brock talk about the kids' plan to interfere with Reba's relationship with Mike and bring Brock and Reba back together. Reba had trouble watching Brock and Barbra Jean together on the date. Brock also had the same problem watching Mike with Reba. Reba was determined to maintain the friendship dynamic going. Despite what LovinCowboy84 said, the two men got along well during the evening. They were about to talk with Reba about old times. Lori Ann started the plan against Jack Morgan going at the bar. **

**Jack met Mike and realized that Reba really loved Mike and there was nothing he could do about it. Barbra Jean was dancing, kissing, and flirting openly with Jack Morgan, despite Reba's plan. Mike and Reba worked through some past jealousy issues over Kim and Max. Mike got up on stage and sang to Reba. Brock and Reba argued because Reba didn't tell him about how serious her relationship was with Mike. He's hurt that Reba is ready to move on without him. One of Reba's abilities was revealed. She gets visions sometimes when she's touched. That caused her to react in a way that she normally wouldn't, right in front of Brock. **

**Barbra Jean, Reba, and Lori Ann had girl talk in the ladies' room about Jack Morgan. Reba revealed Jack's lack of skills in the bedroom. Reba reveals that she and Mike are taking things slow right now. She tells Barbra Jean that Brock has only gotten married both times due to pregnancy, not love. Barbra Jean found a way to get Reba to slow dance with Brock. Brock's determined to find a way to win Reba back. **

**What will happen to Reba and Brock after this double date? What will happen between Lori Ann and Jack on their date? What else does the future hold for Reba and Brock now that Mike is in the picture? Will Dr. Morgan realize that he was set up by Lori Ann and Reba? Who will Lori Ann end up with? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __the end of the double date and Mike's courtship of Reba. Reba and Lori Ann planned for Lori Ann to seduce Jack and be caught by Cheryl. Stay tuned for Cheryl's reaction to Jack's infidelity. Lori Ann will reveal how that turned out. Reba and Mike start spending time with Brock and Barbra Jean. They have been dating for a month now. Paige shows up in Houston to announce her engagement to Reba's shock. _

_Coming up: Mike's son, Sam and his girlfriend, Jenny arrive with big news for Mike. Mike wants to propose but Reba is against that. Mike presents Reba with a promise ring. Reba promises to think about marrying Mike. She asks Mike to consider giving her more time to get married instead of the December deadline. She wants to spend the rest of her life with Mike but is afraid of what marriage might do to the relationship. Mike leaves for a week to Oklahoma. Reba arranges to meet Mike for a weekend in McAlester with the kids so the families can meet each other._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

At the end of the night, Mike dropped Reba off at the house. He kissed her at her doorstep.

"Would you like to come in? My parents aren't home," Reba teased.

"I don't think so. Your kids are all home. You have the no boys allowed upstairs rule so we can't be alone up there. You wouldn't feel comfortable getting caught making out on the sofa so I'm gonna go now. Thanks for a great night, honey! I love you."

"Somehow I feel like I'm sixteen and I'm goin' into my parents' house. I'll see you in the morning. I love you, too."

Reba leaned in for one last kiss of the night. The porch lights flickered. Reba gave a sigh and headed into the house. Van and Cheyenne were waiting at the door. Reba came into the house. Before she could notice Van and Cheyenne, she leaned against the door. She exhaled a long sigh of contentment.

"Just what are you so happy about, young lady? You are late getting home and we were worried. Then when you do show up, you two are makin' out on the porch like a couple of French people!" Van remarked, angrily.

"Relax, Van. Everything is fine. We decided to take a walk for a little while. You guys are gonna have to get used to seein' me kiss him. I am a grown woman and I should be free to kiss the man that I love in my own house. Especially since I'm stickin' to the same rules that I laid out for you kids- no PDA on the couch while everyone is home and no guests of the opposite sex upstairs at any time. I am perfectly capable of managing my own behavior. If you'll excuse me, I'm goin' to bed. At least, I don't have to worry about gettin' the third degree from Brock. He's out on his divorce date with Barbra Jean. He probably won't be back until morning."

With a springy bounce, she was gone up the stairs. She was humming all the way to her bedroom. Once inside her bedroom, she shut the door and began to change her clothes. She was in her bra and underwear before she heard a sound coming from behind her. Her body stiffened in shock.

"Brock, what are you doin' here? You're supposed to be out with Barbra Jean."

"The date was over and I dropped her off at the house an hour ago. Where were you?"

Reba continued to stand there, arguing with him. She forgot about her state of undress.

"I don't have to answer that. I was told that Barbra Jean wanted an empty house tonight because ya'll were goin' on a divorce date."

"We were out. You were with us. She wanted some time alone. I came back here. I told ya that she needs time and space. Did you see the way that she was acting with Jack Morgan tonight?"

"Yeah, she always does that. You should be used to it by now. So you two had a quickie tonight? I figured that she'd be so excited from being with Dr. Morgan tonight that you two would be together all night long."

"No. I didn't go home with Barbra Jean at all. I've been here. If anyone was out gettin' lucky tonight, it was you."

Reba bit down hard on her lower lip. "No, I was not. We are takin' things slow. Not that I have to clear things with you, but we were out on a walk together. It was very romantic. Like I told Van, I am keeping with the same rules that I gave the kids. It was just a kiss on the porch. What do you expect? Everyone was home. What kind of a mother do ya think that I am?"

Throwing up his hands, Brock sighed. "I wasn't saying anythin' about you as a mother. You're a great mother. I'm just irritated at how smooth Mike tries to be with ya. He's been romancing ya ever since he set foot in this house."

"Can you blame him? I just happen to be an irresistible ex/girlfriend."

Brock's features cloud. "No. So how was the date then?"

"I had a really good time."

"Well, I'm not sure that I like that. Oh, come on, Brock. You made your choice years ago. You're with Barbra Jean. She's your wife."

"I know, Reba. I'm just lookin' out for ya, that's all. He broke your heart once."

"No, you're not. You're uncomfortable seein' me with someone else. It's the same as it was twenty-five years ago. You have a problem because you don't want him to have me. I know how that feels."

"Yeah. We're still friends, aren't we?"

"Brock, maybe you should go on to bed. You know I have to give ya credit. This was the first time that you and I went double dating. It's the first time that you had to watch me go out on a date with someone else. You handled it really well."

"I hope that it works out for ya. Mike is a real nice guy. I just don't wanna see ya get hurt. Believe it or not, Reba, I really do hope that you find someone that makes you happy."

Reba laughed at his remark, doubting his sincerity.

"Okay, I'm jealous as h-, but that's my cross to bear."

Reba smiled. "I thought that BJ was your cross to bear." Amusement flickered in the eyes that met hers.

Just then, rocks were heard hitting her window. She looked out and saw Mike getting a ladder to climb up to her window. Her pride concealed her inner turmoil. She turned to Brock.

"Mike is climbing up to the window. Get in the closet. I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"Then you might wanna get something on."

Reba looked down at what she was wearing. "Don't be silly. He's seen me naked millions of times. He's fathered my child. My lack of clothing is not a problem. Now shut up and stay put!"

Brock got into her closet, but didn't close the door fully so he could have a peek at what was going on. Reba rushed to the window and opened it. Mike climbed inside the window into Reba's bedroom.

"What are ya doin'? I don't remember this particular game from before." She smirked.

"Sure you do. I'd come over late at night and you'd let me in. We'd watch TV, cuddle, and talk. Come on, no one is gonna find out. I bet Cheyenne snuck Van into her bedroom plenty of times in the past. She is your daughter after all."

Reba put her hands on her hips. "Just what are ya saying about me?"

"Honey, you just let me in through your window and you look so tempting. You always did, even fully clothed."

"Thank you. What do you want?"

"I wanted to give ya the rest of your gifts. It got a little hectic earlier. Honey, I really can't talk to ya until you put some clothes on."

"What's the matter, Jack? It's not like you haven't seen me like this before. Don't ya wanna see more?" she teased.

He stammered and started sweating. She walked towards him. She moved one bra strap down off her shoulder and then the other one. "Gotcha! Did ya really think that I was gonna get naked with the kids home?" She laughed and walked over to the closet. She opened it slightly and Brock handed her a robe quickly. She put it on. "Come on, I was only playin' around."

"I'm tryin' to be a gentleman here. We are not gonna do anythin' like that in this house while your kids are home and we aren't ever gonna do anythin' in that bed."

Reba put her hands on her hips. "Please explain."

"After that night when I brought ya home drunk, I decided that we weren't gonna ever do anything in that bed ever again. I'm reminded of how we were in the bed kissin' and you called me Brock. This is a bed that you once shared with him. That makes me very uncomfortable. We need to make new memories over at my place."

She walked up to him and gently put her hand on his shoulder. They sat down on the bed together. "Okay, I understand that. I'm sorry. So what do you have for me?"

Mike handed her a photo album with lavender roses on the front. He also handed her a book with a leather binding.

She opened the photo album and briefly flipped through some pages. The album began with pictures from their childhood. "You even have photos of Brock in here."

Mike took her hands in his. "The one thing that I realized since I got here is that Brock is an important part of our lives. He was my best friend. I couldn't imagine going through junior high, high school, and college without him. You have a past with him, too. You two share children together. We can't erase any of that and I wouldn't want to. It could've been worse. You coulda ended up married to a really bad guy for the rest of your life and been really unhappy. Brock had his shot and now I get mine. I'm not messin' things up this time. Check out the other book."

Reba opened the book with the leather binding. "It's my grandmother's marriage guide. You made it into a real book. You added my one fact from six years ago. There are three things that are important to a man: a sexy woman, a sandwich, and a sexy woman making him a sandwich. Aww! Thank you."

"Should I thank Brock for givin' us that bit of wisdom?"

"Another time, Jack. You even have blank pages in the back."

"I want ya to add more to the guide for our children and grandchildren."

Reba smiled. She raised her hand up to stroke his cheek. "I don't think that you know how much this means to me. You got me gifts that mean so much and are priceless."

"You mean so much to me, honey. So what about the specialist? What are you plannin' to do?"

"My appointment is on Tuesday. Would ya go with me?"

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Let's have a baby together."

"We're gonna have a baby!" Mike said, excitedly. He picked Reba up and swung her around.

"Well you can't throw away my birth control pills this time. I stopped takin' them in June. They're all out of my system. So when are we gonna do this?"

"When you marry me. I told ya before. I want us to get married first. Don't you wanna get married before havin' a baby this time?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not good at bein' married. I didn't enjoy it before. Both marriages ended very badly."

"I'll spend the rest of our lives makin' that up to ya. I love ya, Sal! Please believe me."

"I know, honey. We're okay. I love you, too. Just be patient with me."

Mike put his arms around her and held her tightly against him. Reba pulled away. She had tears in her eyes. "I have another gift for you, too." Reba went to the closet, opened it slightly, and grabbed a large notebook off a nearby shelf.

"Here. I want ya to have this. It's my journal from 1983 and 1984. I was looking at this recently. I want ya to have it. I want ya to know what I'm thinking and feeling. I don't want to ever hide my feelings and fears from you ever again. I think that there is so much that we still have to learn from each other."

Mike kissed her again softly and climbed out her window again. When he was gone, Brock came out. "Reba, why don't we ever fully communicate? Why don't you let me in like that? Maybe things coulda gone differently if you'd have let me in."

"Here's a tip, Brock. You should date a woman longer than two months before you impregnate and marry her. You didn't even take the time to get to know me, the real me."

"I know you."

"No, you know the angry, sad ex-wife version of me that I've become over the years. That's not who I am inside. That's not who I was all along. Can you honestly say that you really know me?"

"I've shared some of the most important moments in our lives. So I can say that in those moments, I knew the real you."

"Alright, Brock. There have been times when you were there for me even when you didn't have to be. I thank you for that. This divorce is just too nice. Why don't ya go to bed now?"

Brock walked to the door. Reba kissed him on the cheek and then Brock left.

Soon, Mike and Reba had been dating for about a month. Lori Ann was talking with Reba in her kitchen. A brunette woman whose hair was streaked with pink and blue entered through the front door without knocking. Brock had been eavesdropping on Lori Ann and Reba's conversation. He was standing near the doorway in the dining room area. The woman walked up to him.

"Whatcha doin'?" she whispered.

Brock was startled by the woman who approached him. He looked her over. Her face looked somewhat familiar to him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Paige, Reba's sister. You must be Brock. You're the one that slept with my sister last June, aren't ya? I knew it. She doesn't have casual sex with random strangers. There's no way that she could convince me of that. What are ya doin'?"

"I am Brock. I refuse to comment on Reba's sex life. I am no longer a part of her love life and I haven't been for a long time. We're friends, but she's in there talkin' to Lori Ann. I didn't want to interrupt."

"Sure. You're just as sneaky as we are. Welcome to the family. Reba is the biggest schemer that I know. I bet she's in there right now discussing some awesome scheme that she planned with Lori Ann. You looked shocked. It's a McKinney/O'Hara thing."

"It's a pleasure to meet ya. I am shocked. You are exactly like Reba when she was younger, except for the hair."

"The hair really makes my dad and Helen mad. I think that it's looks cool. I'm like Reba because she practically raised me. She's the best big sister in the world. Now hush, I wanna hear the good dirt."

Lori Ann and Reba were talking about her relationship with Dr. Jack Morgan. He still hadn't figured out that he was set up by Lori Ann and Reba. That night, he took Lori Ann back to his house. Reba had called Cheryl anonymously to let her know that Jack had another woman in his bed. She came in and caught them red handed in the act in his bed. Cheryl never told Jack that she had been tipped off. She yelled at him and hit him while he stood there, shocked and naked. She broke up with him after warning Lori Ann that Jack was unable to be faithful to any woman and that he was the worst lover that she'd ever had.

He didn't even know that Lori Ann's reactions were scripted. She stayed while he fell apart. They made love again. Lori Ann left his house before morning. He woke up as she was leaving and asked for her phone number. They exchanged phone numbers. He called her the next day. They began regularly dating ever since.

Lori Ann still feels some guilt over how their relationship began. Dr. Jack Morgan was one of the most open and honest men that she'd ever met. After years of lying and cheating on women, he'd finally learned that he had to change his ways in order to keep a woman in his life. Lori Ann had been there in the most embarrassing and humiliating moment of his life. She listened to his problems. She didn't share much about herself and she enjoyed sex with him frequently. She seemed to be the perfect woman for him. She was enjoying herself with Dr. Jack Morgan and she'd hoped that he wouldn't find out the truth about her for awhile.

Reba was conflicted. She enjoyed spending time with Mike more and more, but it was hard to concentrate on that relationship when Brock was nearby. He was always around at home. He and Barbra Jean joined Mike and Reba for most of the things that they did together when they weren't in school. They joined in for gourmet cooking classes, dance lessons, going to the movies, and watching TV in Reba's living room. Reba was having a great time. Their friendship was enriched. Brock was learning more about Reba.

Reba was impressed that Brock was willing to dance and cook in order to become a better husband. Barbra Jean seemed to be happier with Brock while the two couples spent time together. Any other time, she didn't seem to want to work on her marriage. Reba felt bad for Brock. She was confused. She was happy with Mike, but she felt so sad for Brock. She had these feelings that made her want to reach out to him as more than just a friend. She knew that he was working hard to become a better man and he had a wife who didn't appreciate him for it.

She was talking with Lori Ann about her conflicted feelings for Brock. She revealed the truth about her weekend with Brock in June. Lori Ann was shocked, but supportive. Paige decided to act before Brock could hear anymore. Barbra Jean had just walked into the kitchen through the back door. She decided to have some fun.

"Do you mind if I have some fun with BJ, the bimbo?" Paige asked Brock excitedly.

Brock was clearly amused and interested to see what Paige had in mind. He nodded and smiled. Paige stepped back for a moment. She waved her hands in front of her from the top of her head to her toes. She started to shimmer and change into Reba before his very eyes.

"Wow! Can she do that?" he asked, pointing at Reba. Paige nodded and walked into the kitchen.

When Reba saw Paige, she was shocked. She didn't know what Paige was up to. She didn't even know that Paige had any abilities. Lori Ann knew about Reba's abilities so she wanted to find out how Barbra Jean would react to seeing two Rebas in her kitchen. Brock was curious to see what would happen also. Barbra Jean's eyes grew wide at seeing two Rebas in front of her eyes.

"Well howdy, Reba. How are you doin' today?" she asked.

"Fine, Barbra Jean. How are you?" Paige responded.

Barbra Jean walked up to Reba and Paige. "Reba, am I seeing things? There are two of you."

"Really? Where?" Paige responded.

"You really need some rest, Barbra Jean. You've been working too hard." Reba remarked.

Barbra Jean's eyes grew wide and frightened. She turned and ran out the back door. Reba and Paige laughed. "That was great!" Paige exclaimed.

"Change back, Paige." Reba ordered.

"No way! I wanna have some fun with Bro first. Okay, Mamacita?"

"What did ya just call me?"

"Little mother. Gosh, chill out! I heard that you and Mike were tryin' to have a baby. I call Mike 'Bro' now because he's family since you two are havin' a baby. I figured that he'd be part of the family soon since he'll be my new brother-in-law."

"I see that you've met Brock. Don't call him 'Bro'. He was your brother-in-law a very long, long time ago. Okay, you can stay like that for a little bit. It'll be a good way to bring up the subject with Mike. Maybe it'll be fun. Let's see if he knows who the real Reba is."

Mike walked in through the front door. Paige and Reba entered the living room, followed by Lori Ann and Brock. Mike's mouth flew open. "Did you know about this?" he asked Lori Ann and Brock.

"Of course, I've always known. I'm her best friend. She's had her abilities since she was a little girl."

"No, man, I'm just seeing this for the first time today and I was married to her for eighteen years. I'm just as shocked as you are."

"Why am I not surprised? Everyone in town knows about the O'Haras. You are an O'Hara. Your grandmother is Cheyenne O'Hara McEntire Smith. I've known you for thirty-seven years and I had my suspicions but you always had an explanation for everything. You always said that I dreamed it when strange things happened. Why?"

"Everything will be explained later. This is a test," Paige answered.

"You have to figure out who the real Reba is." Reba explained.

"Is that why you have this version of the Parent Trap goin' on right now?"

"Heck, yeah!" Reba and Paige answered in unison.

"I bet you find this totally amusing, this little twin experiment that she's got going. Because you would know all about that kind of thing, wouldn't ya?" Mike remarked to Brock.

"No, I didn't have anythin' to do with this. I promise."

"Focus, Mike." Paige instructed.

"Come on, Reba. Don't tell me that Brock hasn't pulled this on you before."

Reba and Paige looked at each other. They both shook their heads.

"I'd like to see how long this takes you boys to figure out." Lori Ann quipped.

Just then, Van walked into the living room. "Whoa, two Mrs. Hs! What is goin' on here?" he stood there dumbstruck.

Reba was tickled at how much fun this was. She'd always wished that she'd a sister with abilities like her. Now she did. She'd always had fun with Paige before. She'd wondered how much fun and how much trouble Paige was going to get her into. She wondered how her family was going to react to suddenly having a family member that they knew about. Lori Ann wondered if Mike was going to be able to win Reba's challenge. She wondered what Reba would do next. She was always more fun when Paige was around. Brock was stunned and amused. He didn't know what to think about this. It was an interesting situation though. It was a situation that he actually had some experience with. So she has a sister that she never told him about and he has a brother that he never told her. He loved Reba's fun side. It was a side that he hadn't had a chance to see much of. Reba was right. She had changed from that fun loving person that he fell in love with. He did that to her. He wanted to help her get over the hurt and damage from the past. How could he win Reba back with Mike in the picture?...

Would Mike be able pick the real Reba and pass her test? What will happen between Reba and Brock now? When will Brock tell Reba about his brother? When will Paige tell Reba about her engagement? What will happen when Reba meets Paige's fiancé? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_This week's chapter is also dedicated to Merylandrebafan. Congratulations on your graduation! _

_Shout out to FakeCubicZirconium: Thanks for letting me keep Jack Morgan around because Lori Ann needs someone to love. They seem to be a good match. I promise that he will suffer emotional distress in this story. He will not be allowed to stay happy._

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	34. The switch

_Dear Readers-_

_It was Reba and Narvel's anniversary on Friday. I hope that they had a romantic day! __I'm trying to update every 7-10 days. It's getting harder to find time now. I work for my husband and he's short on help right now. Luckily, I do sometimes get days off so I can write. Working midnights scrubbing movie theatre bathrooms really sucks. I'm working 6-7 days a week right now because of summer. Things are so busy. But it does give me time to think about the story and what to write about so it's not all bad. I just listen to my iPod and think about the story. The thoughts are flowing. I can't get back to Working Class Goes to Houston right now. The ideas for Believe are just too good right now. I don't want to stop when the ideas are flooding in. I'm writing while the ideas are still fresh._

_I just finished watching The Voice. There was a marathon of the series on the E! channel. Reba was terrific. She can literally sing anything. I loved it when she sang with the contestants while she was working with them. The best moment was when she met the co-writer of her song, Turn On the Radio. Cherie Oakley is the writer. She's a backup singer from Nashville. She's got some great talent as a songwriter and a singer! Her coach was Christina Aguilera. She got eliminated, but I think that she's got a good career ahead of her. _

_People are wondering where I got Paige's look from for this story. I've seen Avril Lavigne wearing this look for her hair, but I really got it from Kelly Clarkson. She wore the pink streaks in her hair on the cover of her 2003 album, Thankful. I also played around with my daughter's iPod app and liked how the colors looked streaked in brunette hair. _

_There was a new poll for this story last week. Please vote for your prediction for who LovinCowboy84 really is. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to know what you readers think. Have I left clues that helped you to figure out who he really is? Thanks to everyone who voted on ExtremeReba. I'm leaving the poll up this week for more voters. Still no votes for this poll on FF. net. _

_Also, I thought that I would give everyone a hint with the poll question, Who is LovinCowboy84? There were a couple of people who thought that it was Dr. Jack Morgan. I want to give you a spoiler and let you know that LovinCowboy84 is not Dr. Jack Morgan, but that is the only firm identity answer that you will get at this point. Please take the poll. I left it open so that answers could be changed and people can revote. So, if you voted for Dr. Jack Morgan, you can revote. The answers to the polls are giving me a lot of feedback on my story. I get to find out how I am doing with my writing when you take the time to vote on the poll questions. Thank you!_

_I'm dedicating this week's chapter to my younger daughter. She turned 13 on Friday. She's funny. She wants to be a singer and an actress eventually. She is talented and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom._

_It's finally September 2008 in the story, but we're heading into October. Reba and Mike will have been dating for about a month now. Brock has finally met Paige. Now we're finding more out about Brock and Reba that we didn't know before. Paige's arrival has stirred things up._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! It would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- "Why am I not surprised? Everyone in town knows about the O'Haras. You are an O'Hara. Your grandmother is Cheyenne O'Hara McEntire Smith. I've known you for thirty-seven years and I had my suspicions but you always had an explanation for everything. You always said that I dreamed it when strange things happened. Why?"

"Everything will be explained later. This is a test," Paige answered.

"You have to figure out who the real Reba is." Reba explained.

"Is that why you have this version of the Parent Trap goin' on right now?"

"Heck, yeah!" Reba and Paige answered in unison.

"I bet you find this totally amusing, this little twin experiment that she's got going. Because you would know all about that kind of thing, wouldn't ya?" Mike remarked to Brock.

"No, I didn't have anythin' to do with this. I promise."

"Focus, Mike." Paige instructed.

"Come on, Reba. Don't tell me that Brock hasn't pulled this on you before."

Reba and Paige looked at each other. They both shook their heads.

"I'd like to see how long this takes you boys to figure out." Lori Ann quipped.

Just then, Van walked into the living room. "Whoa, two Mrs. Hs! What is goin' on here?" he stood there dumbstruck.

Reba was tickled at how much fun this was. She'd always wished that she had a sister with abilities like her. Now she did. She'd always had fun with Paige before. She'd wondered how much fun and how much trouble Paige was going to get her into now. She wondered how her family was going to react to suddenly having a family member that they knew nothing about. Lori Ann wondered if Mike was going to be able to win Reba's challenge. She wondered what Reba would do next. She was always more fun when Paige was around. Brock was stunned and amused. He didn't know what to think about this. It was an interesting situation though. It was a situation that he actually had some experience with. So Reba has a sister that she never told him about and Brock has a brother that he never told her about. He loved Reba's fun side. It was a side that he hadn't had a chance to see much of. Reba was right. She had changed from that fun-loving person that he fell in love with. He did that to her. He wanted to help her get over the hurt and damage from the past, but how could he win Reba back with Mike in the picture?...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 33 in the present year of the story- September 2008 with Reba returning home from her date with Mike. She is shocked to find Brock waiting at home for her. He didn't go home with Barbra Jean as expected. Van and Cheyenne were also waiting up for Reba to come home with a lecture that Reba was not in the mood for. It's seems like everyone was coming down on her for having a love life and she was finally happy for once. She is hurt at how everyone was responding. Brock is waiting for Reba in her room. She never even noticed that he's in the room until he makes his presence known while she is changing clothes. **

**Mike shows up at Reba's window with two more gifts, a photo album and her grandmother's marriage guide. Reba shoves Brock into her closet. She teases Mike before putting on a robe. We find out that Mike is still upset about the night that Reba called him Brock. He wants to take things nice and slow. Reba gave him one of her old journals to read. Reba decides to have a baby with Mike so they are seeing a fertility specialist together. Reba and Brock argue about whether or not Brock knows the real person that Reba is inside. **

**September turns into October. Reba and Mike have been dating for a month. Paige shows up while Brock is eavesdropping on Reba's conversation with Lori Ann. Paige tells Brock that she knows the truth about what's been going on between him and Reba. Lori Ann tells Reba about her new relationship with Dr. Jack Morgan. Reba and Mike have been double dating with Brock and Barbra Jean a lot. The two couples have been taking dancing and cooking lessons together as well as going to the movies and hanging out at Reba's. Reba feels sorry for Brock. **

**He appears to be putting in a good effort into being a better husband and Barbra Jean just doesn't seem interested. That would be because the whole thing is just for appearances. Reba still has no idea that they are getting divorced. Brock overhears Reba talk about her conflicting feelings for Brock when Paige decides to rescue her sister. She doesn't want Brock to overhear anything else. She reveals that she has some magical abilities by changing into Reba right in front of Brock. **

**This ends up forcing Reba to reveal her own abilities to Brock and Mike. Paige and Reba have fun messing with Barbra Jean and Van. They want to test Brock and Mike to see if they can pick out the real Reba. Brock thought about how Reba still didn't know that he had a brother that she knew nothing about. He is having fun seeing this new aspect of Reba's personality. **

**Would Mike be able pick the real Reba and pass her test? What will happen between Reba and Brock now? When will Brock tell Reba about his brother? When will Paige tell Reba about her engagement? What will happen when Reba meets Paige's fiancé? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal __Paige showing up in Houston to announce her engagement to Reba's shock. She will bring her fiancé, which will be a shock for poor Reba, but that's not the only shock. Paige's fiancé is Greg Brooks, Reba's ex. He's got a grudge against Reba and Mike. When Reba gets into a frightening situation, she gets another unexpected surprise. Elizabeth comes to her rescue, bringing Brock with her._

_Reba didn't expect that Paige would be marrying her ex. She expected Paige to get back together with Michael Davis and marry him. Michael Davis will show up in town to see Paige. He comes to support Mike's son, Sam and his girlfriend, Jenny. They will arrive with big news for Mike. Mike wants to propose but Reba is against that. Mike presents Reba with a promise ring. Reba promises to think about marrying Mike. She asks Mike to consider giving her more time to get married instead of the December deadline. She wants to spend the rest of her life with Mike but is afraid of what marriage might do to the relationship. Mike leaves for a week to Oklahoma. Reba arranges to meet Mike for a weekend in McAlester with the kids so the families can meet each other._

_Spoiler: Reba is Terry's unfinished business because of what he did. That's why he's in the story at this point. It's leading things in the story towards the Reba Nell Got Married story. There will be a test. It's the first test for Brock and Mike. Do they really know Reba? Can they identify the real Reba? I thought that might be fun. I'm giving Brock a small advantage on this one. I feel bad about making him unlikeable in the last chapter._ _The challenge will be ruined by the arrival of Greg. Unfortunately it will be revealed that Reba has tested Mike before like this. Mike hasn't done well before. Elizabeth knows who the real Reba is. It will be revealed why she does. Brock has some suspicions about who the real Reba is. Reba makes it harder by actually going upstairs with Paige and switching identities with her so the guys are left to figure out if the Reba they see is the real Reba, but it isn't. Reba's reaction to Greg's arrival will be hilarious._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

"There's something that you need to know, Mike. That wasn't the real Reba who kissed Max in Ada on her birthday." Paige revealed.

"Yes, it was. I saw her with my own eyes."

"What are your eyes tellin' ya now?" Reba asked.

"Okay. Fair enough. Do ya wanna explain what happened or are you gonna keep playin' games with me?"

"Both." Reba and Paige answered simultaneously.

"We can show ya better than we can tell ya." Paige remarked, giggling.

Paige grabbed Reba by the arm and they ran up the stairs together. Reba stepped back for a moment. She waved her hands in front of her from the top of her head to her toes. She started to shimmer and change into Paige before her very eyes. Paige put on the clothes that Reba was wearing on her birthday before they switched places. Reba's outfit was a polyester/spandex one-shoulder silhouette dress that draped over her right shoulder and ruched at side with a bubble hem and "Dreamer" sandals. _Author's note: Dreamer sandals are from Reba's collection._

Paige waved her hand and changed Reba into the outfit that Paige was wearing that night. She was wearing a white crop top, denim mini-skirt about mid-thigh length, and white Go-Go boots.

"All of this because I made one silly little birthday wish."

"Are you kiddin' me? It was fun. Something wild to do before ya tied yourself down again. Don't worry about it. Max was kissin' me, not you. Once Mike figures out that you weren't the one kissin' Max, he'll be so sorry that you'll probably get anythin' that you want outta him. He'll be guilty for a long, long time."

"I'm not sure that I can do this. Do you have any idea how hard this is gonna be for me? I drank a lot that night before getting on stage. Brock and Mike are gonna be watchin'. It was easy for me to act like that in a bar full of strangers. I'm forty-two years old. I'm a little old to be on stage dancin' like that."

"But Reba, you do not look forty-two years old right now. You look like me, a twenty-four year old woman. Relax, this is easy. You are not Reba right now. You are Paige and I don't care what people think. I do what I want, when I want. You've just got put on that attitude like you did that night. The fun part will be if Mike and Brock can actually figure out that you are actually Reba and not Paige. I wonder if they will know that I'm not you. It's easy to be you. I just have to get all fiery and bossy."

"I'm not bossy. It's not bossy if I'm tellin' ya what's right. I'm your big sister. It's my job."

"See, you like to boss me around like Cheyenne did with Kyra."

"Yes, but Kyra's got a smart mouth like you do."

Paige laughed and hugged Reba. "Remember, attitude is everything. Let's make them figure out who's who. Can they trust what they see with their own eyes? Look in the mirror. You look great."

Reba looked in the mirror and saw her own reflection, staring back at her in the outfit. "What I see is me, dressed way too sexy. I'm a mother of four and a grandmother of two."

"But that's not what they will see. They will see my face and my body and they will hear my voice. Relax. You look great. You really do look just like me. If I didn't know you, I'd have no idea that you were Reba Hart."

"Fine, but I'm tellin' Mike that this was all your idea."

Paige smiled, satisfied with her work. For her, it was like looking at her own reflection. She was ready to have some fun with these guys. She couldn't wait to see their faces when they started singing and dancing in the garage.

Reba and Paige walked down the stairs. Mike and Brock's mouths dropped to the floor. Van grinned.

"The new girl is hot!" Van remarked.

Reba smiled and Paige laughed. "I can't wait until Cheyenne hears ya say that." Paige responded. "That girl is Cheyenne's aunt and my sister."

"Thank you, Van. It's nice to finally meet ya."

"You said that you wanted to know what explained so we're gonna show ya. Follow us." Paige said.

Mike wordlessly followed Paige outside to the garage. Reba turned and stopped in front of Brock.

"Pick your mouth up off the floor, Brock. You aren't supposed to be starin' at me like that. I'm Reba's sister and almost half your age."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't lookin' at ya like that. Reba looked really great. That trip was good for her. She's had a hard time the last few years. Thanks for takin' her out for some fun. It's good for her, you know. I don't care what Mike says. You can dress Reba like that anytime." Brock responded.

Reba was flattered, but didn't let her fluster show. She covered with an air of confidence like Paige carried. "Thanks, Brock. But I don't need your permission to do that. Your job is to keep your eyes on the blonde." Reba smacked Brock in the back of the head.

"Man, the hot girl is mean like Mrs. H!" Van exclaimed.

"Van, I'll consider that a compliment." Reba remarked. She looked at Brock, grinned and winked at him. "Excuse me, I gotta go out there for a bit." She turned and walked out through the back door.

"Hey, Mr. H, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that she flirted with you." Van laughed.

"What's so funny, Van?"

"Dude, she's young and hot. She's hotter than Barbra Jean and Barbra Jean's is really hot now!"

"Reba is hotter than Barbra Jean. What is your point, Van?"

"She can't be flirting with you. Who does that, flirts by telling you off, smackin' ya, and then grinnin' and winkin' at ya? Plus, she's Mrs. H's sister. "

"Somethin' tells me that we should get outside." Brock rushed outside and Van followed.

Just then, Kyra walked in. She heard the last part of the conversation and followed the two out the door. Kyra's band equipment was set up on the left side of the garage. Reba still had a desk and a sleeper sofa off to the other side near the washer/dryer area. Reba and Paige put a CD in Reba's portable CD player, grabbed the microphones, and started to sing and dance.

**Finally, Friday night**  
**Got to get, feeling right**  
**Low cut, tank top**  
**Blue jeans, skin tight**  
**9 o'clock, dance hall**  
**Walkin in, struttin tall**  
**Lookin so good**  
**Boys scratchin on the 8 ball**

**Belly up to the bar**  
**Cuervo, PBR**  
**Flirtin with the bartender**  
**Hey baby, no charge**

**Bands playin, my song**  
**Gotta get my groove on**  
**Ride Sally, ride Sally**  
**Ride it all night long**

**If you got it, flaunt it**  
**Make the cowboys….want it**

**You gotta shake that thing,**  
**Shake that thing,**  
**Shake that thing,**  
**Shake that thing**

**Closing time, 2 o'clock**  
**Party in the parkin lot**  
**Dancin on a flat bed**  
**Everybody's getting hot**  
**Swinging on some wild cat**  
**Bumpin old-school rap**  
**Give that girl a brass pole**  
**Where'd she learn to do that**

**If you got it, flaunt it**  
**Make the cowboys …..want it**  
**You gotta shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**

**East west, north south**  
**Let it all hang out**  
**Movin up, movin down**  
**Take that country into town**

**Shake that thing…..**

**If you got it, flaunt it**  
**Make the cowboys …..want it**  
**You gotta shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**

**You gotta shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**  
**Shake that thing**

The song changed, but the ladies were still moving like they did on stage that night.

**Everybody told me he was a dream**  
**Picture perfect..**  
**Like he just stepped right off the silver screen**  
**Said he that would sweep me off of my feet**  
**Oh but I'm still standin', he didn't do it for me**  
**Cuz I don't go for all that "wining n dining"**  
**With that Ray-Ban, fake tan.. never mind**

**I want a down-home, 'up with the sunrise' man**  
**A pickup truck drivin', bullridin', strong steady hand**  
**I want the Wranglers, Stetson n all that stuff**  
**I want the real McCoy**  
**I want a cowboy**

**I'm tired of talkin about it, wastin' my time**  
**On all the cheap talkers needin' me, feedin' me, lines**  
**Give me somebody who's tender but tough**  
**So full n honest, knows a thing or two about love**

**I've seen enough to know I know what I like**  
**It's the hard workin, head turnin', rugged type**

**I want a down-home, 'up with the sunrise' man**  
**A pickup truck drivin', bullridin', strong steady hand**  
**I want the Wranglers, Stetson n all that stuff**  
**I want the real McCoy**  
**I want a cowboy**

**I've seen enough to know, you know what I mean**  
**Ride me off into the sunset, that's my thing**

**I want a down-home, 'up with the sunrise' man**  
**A pickup truck drivin', bullridin', strong steady hand**  
**I want the Wranglers, Stetson n all that stuff**  
**I want the real McCoy**  
**I wanna real McCoy**  
**I wanna a cowboy**  
**Cowboy!**

_Author's note: This next song was recently sung by Scarlett Pomers. It came out on iTunes in December 2010. I just found it and thought that it would be great for Kyra to see her mom and her aunt rocking out with this song. It's ACDC, but Scarlett sang a great cover._

"Everyone knows that we're a little bit country and a little bit rock n roll so we're gonna sing this song to represent our rock side." Paige said.

**Ridin' down the highway**  
**Goin' to a show**  
**Stop in all the by-ways**  
**Playin' rock 'n' roll**  
**Gettin' robbed**  
**Gettin' stoned**  
**Gettin' beat up**  
**Broken boned**  
**Gettin' had**  
**Gettin' took**  
**I tell you folks**  
**It's harder than it looks**

**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**  
**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**  
**If you think it's easy doin' one night stands**  
**Try playin' in a rock roll band**  
**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**Hotel, motel**  
**Make you wanna cry**  
**Lady do the hard sell**  
**Know the reason why**  
**Gettin' old**  
**Gettin' grey**  
**Gettin' ripped off**  
**Under-paid**  
**Gettin' sold**  
**Second hand**  
**That's how it goes**  
**Playin' in a band**

**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**  
**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**If you wanna be a star on stage and screen**  
**Look out it's rough and mean**  
**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**It's a long way to the top**  
**If you wanna rock 'n' roll**

**It's a long way**  
**It's a long way **

**It's a long way **

**It's a long way**

"Now we're gonna finish Oklahoma style." Reba said.

**I've been waiting on that hoedown train**  
**It's been a long long week and I swear**  
**Nothing's gonna get in my way**  
**Put my high heels on**  
**And my Wrangler jeans**  
**My favorite Wet and Wild lipstick number 503**  
**It's time right now**  
**Let's throw it down**

**All you girls stand up**  
**Throw your hands up**  
**Come on let's rock**  
**Gonna go all night**  
**Gonna watch the dust fly**  
**Show em what we got**  
**Come on let's take a ride on top of the world**  
**All you soul shaking heartbreakin little cowgirls**

**Whoo, yee-haw**

**Three shots in and we're up on that bar**  
**Everybody cheers us on and**  
**We shine like rhinestone stars**  
**Turn that jukebox up**  
**Lay your money down**  
**All you cowgirls here**  
**Yippee yay coyote for another round**  
**Jump on in, Here we go again**

**All you girls stand up**  
**Put your hands up**  
**Come on lets rock**  
**Gonna go all night**  
**Gonna watch the dust fly**  
**Show em what we got**  
**Come on let's take a ride on top of the world**  
**All you soul shakin heartbreaking little cowgirls**

**Whoo, yee-haw**

**Just when you think**  
**The nights all done**  
**We're just gettin started**  
**To have a little fun**

**All you girls stand up**  
**Put your hands up**  
**Come on let's rock**  
**Gonna go all night**  
**Gonna watch the dust fly**  
**Show em what we got**  
**Come on let's take a ride on top of the world**  
**All you soul shakin heartbreakin love-making little cowgirls**  
**Little cowgirls**

Everyone started clapping. No one but Paige had noticed that a new arrival had joined them. Paige noticed as soon as he entered the garage. Reba didn't notice Michael Davis until they were finished singing. She decided to play along. She ran to him, hugging him.

"What are you doin' here?" Reba asked.

"Does that mean that you are actually happy to see me?" Michael asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You've been impossible to talk to lately."

Just then, two arms encircled Reba from behind, pulling her close. She felt lips on her neck. She looked over and saw Brock and Mike in front of her, curiously watching what was happening. She smelled the familiar fragrance of Hai Karate. She only knew one guy that wore that, but he was back in McAlester, thank heavens. It couldn't be him. That would be a nightmare! Still, who was this man who thought that he could come on to her like this? She grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his back like she learned in self-defense class. Paige laughed.

"Paige, I just can't believe that you did that to your fiancé." Paige looked to Reba and urged her to play along.

Reba looked over. It was her nightmare coming true. Greg Brooks was in her garage in Houston. Worse yet, he appeared to be engaged to marry her sister.

Michael looked at Reba. "You're engaged."

Reba was confused about what was going on herself. She answered with a shaky "yeah". She didn't want to hurt this sweet young man who had been so good to her sister. What in the world was Paige up to? Michael turned around and started to walk away.

Greg looked at Reba. "Can we talk inside?"

Reba looked at Paige, who didn't know what to do. She clearly looked distressed by Michael walking away. "Go on. You deal with that and I'll deal with this." She knew that Paige would know what to say to calm Michael down and she knew that Michael would never walk off on Reba. He respected Reba's opinion too much so he'd have no choice but to sit and listen to what she had to say. Paige had to think fast.

Greg took Reba's hand and led her into the house through the back door. Once inside alone, Reba began to panic. She was alone with him. She didn't know what he would do. She knew what he was capable of doing to hurt her. Luckily, he thought that she was Paige and not Reba.

"So what kind of game are you playin' with my fiancé, Reba honey? How'd you get Paige to agree to this?"

"How'd you know that it was me?"

Reba was filled with fear by the prospect of what would happen next. If she called out, would anybody hear her? If she called attention to the situation, then Mike might find out everything. She'd spent twenty-eight years hiding this particular mistake. Why was Paige with this guy? Didn't she know how awful he was? As the fear built inside her, she felt her abilities freeze up. What would she do to defend herself? She had to get away from him. She'd spent so many years trying to forget how badly he'd hurt her. This man was one of the reasons why she was afraid of relationships and why she expected every man she fell for to betray her. She was praying that Brock would come in and be his usual annoying self. Couldn't he see who the real Reba was?...

Would Mike or Brock be able pick the real Reba and pass her test? What will happen between Reba and Greg now? What will Paige say to Michael? What does Greg have to say to Reba? What will happen between Elizabeth and Reba? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_This week's chapter is also dedicated to __countrygirls86__. Thank you for your wonderful story! I hope that you find the inspiration to keep writing. Hart Breaking Words is your best story yet! _

_Shout out to FakeCubicZirconium: Thanks for the encouragement this week! Sometimes the PM's really do help._

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on.**

**.net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	35. Truth and consequences

_Dear Readers-_

_By the way, the song that Mike sang to Reba during the double date in chapter 32 was You're So Good When You're Bad by Charley Pride. I forgot to mention that in the chapter 32 summary recap that I wrote at the beginning of chapter 33. I've also chosen June 3__rd__ as Reba's birthday in this story since it's a day that is special to Reba because it's her anniversary._

_Some people are a little confused about the identity switching. Here's how it works in this story. I got this idea from a show called Quantum Leap. Reba can switch identities with someone, but she is still Reba. Everyone else can see the other identity, but she can see own reflection when she looks at herself in the mirror. So when Reba and Paige switch identities, people see Reba as Paige, but when I write the scene I write for Reba as Reba-even though everyone else sees her as Paige. I hope that this isn't too confusing for you. _

_For example when Greg arrived, Reba threw Greg down in a self-defense move, which was funny because everyone else saw Paige throw Greg, her fiancé, down in a self-defense move. Paige was quick to point that out to Reba so she would play along. Paige rushed to talk to Michael as Reba, knowing that he would never reject talking to Reba, even though it's really Paige. Also, Greg took Reba into the house. Everyone saw Paige go into the house with Greg so no one knows that Reba is with Greg or that Reba may be in danger. Greg has figured out that Reba has switched identities with Paige. _

_How would he know that? Remember he's Reba's ex. There's a history there. Reba used to do this type of thing often when she was younger. He knows that she did magic. He's also Paige's fiancé so he knows her well enough to know that she's not acting like herself. He doesn't know about Paige's magic yet. There's been a question about the age difference. I know that it's a little different, but I got the idea from Knots Landing._

_There is a new poll for this story this week. Please vote with your answer for whether or not __Brock should make a move on Reba in Oklahoma__. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to know what you readers think. Please let me know what you think he should do next. Thanks to everyone who voted on the previous poll. _

_Also, I thought that I would give everyone a hint with the poll question, Who is LovinCowboy84? There were a couple of people who thought that it was Dr. Jack Morgan or Greg Brooks. I want to give you a spoiler and let you know that LovinCowboy84 is not Dr. Jack Morgan or Greg Brooks, but these are the only firm identity answers that you will get at this point. LovinCowboy84 is meant to be a friend to Reba so it wouldn't be anyone with hostility towards her. I know that some of you are asking when Jack Morgan had hostility towards Reba. That time is coming. She rejected him, even after he helped her with her problems because some of her issues run deep. _

_She repaid him by rejecting his advances and setting him up for humiliation with Lori Ann. Sometime in the future, Dr. Jack Morgan will find out about Reba and Lori Ann's plan, but Lori Ann will be the sorry one then. Her relationship with Jack will be on the line. Interestingly enough, Dr. Morgan is enough of a professional in this story to continuing helping Mike and Reba in couple's therapy. Reba doesn't want to go to Brock and Barbra Jean's therapist, Dr. Baker._

_Please participate in the polls. The answers to the polls are giving me a lot of feedback on my story. I get to find out how I am doing with my writing when you take the time to vote on the poll questions. Thank you! I also appreciate your comments and reviews. Keep sending them in!_

_It's finally October 2008 in the story, and there will be plenty of action in the story right now. Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. Reba and Mike will have been dating for a month now. Brock has finally met Paige. Now we're finding more out about Brock and Reba that we didn't know before. Paige's arrival has stirred things up between Brock and Reba. It has also shaken things up between Mike and Reba._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.

Previously- Reba looked over. It was her nightmare coming true. Greg Brooks was in her garage in Houston. Worse yet, he appeared to be engaged to marry her sister.

Michael looked at Reba. "You're engaged."

Reba was confused about what was going on herself. She answered with a shaky "yeah". She didn't want to hurt this sweet young man who had been so good to her sister. What in the world was Paige up to? Michael turned around and started to walk away.

Greg looked at Reba. "Can we talk inside?"

Reba looked at Paige, who didn't know what to do. She clearly looked distressed by Michael walking away. "Go on. You deal with that and I'll deal with this." She knew that Paige would know what to say to calm Michael down and she knew that Michael would never walk off on Reba. He respected Reba's opinion too much so he'd have no choice but to sit and listen to what she had to say. Paige had to think fast.

Greg took Reba's hand and led her into the house through the back door. Once inside alone, Reba began to panic. She was alone with him. She didn't know what he would do. She knew what he was capable of doing to hurt her. Luckily, he thought that she was Paige and not Reba.

"So what kind of game are you playin' with my fiancé, Reba honey? How'd you get Paige to agree to this?"

"How'd you know that it was me?"

Reba was filled with fear by the prospect of what would happen next. If she called out, would anybody hear her? If she called attention to the situation, then Mike might find out everything. She'd spent twenty-eight years hiding this particular mistake. Why was Paige with this guy? Didn't she know how awful he was? As the fear built inside her, she felt her abilities freeze up. What would she do to defend herself? She had to get away from him. She'd spent so many years trying to forget how badly he'd hurt her. This man was one of the reasons why she was afraid of relationships and why she expected every man she fell for to betray her. She was praying that Brock would come in and be his usual annoying self. Couldn't he see who the real Reba was?...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 34 in the present year of the story- October 2008 with Reba and Paige switching identities. This was supposed to test Mike and Brock's knowledge of how well they know the real Reba. It was revealed that Mike did not see Reba kiss Max on her birthday. He saw Paige as Reba kissing Max. They had a fight after that night because he was jealous and he didn't recognize that it wasn't Reba. Brock and Mike both know that Reba has magical abilities. Brock had known before through eavesdropping, but Reba hadn't told him yet. Reba was never honest with Mike about her magic before, even though he suspected it. **

**Reba and Paige went into the garage to show Mike just what he happened on Reba's birthday that caused Max to kiss the woman that he thought was Reba. It was perfectly innocent. They were singing karaoke and dancing. They sang Shake That Thing by Gwyneth Paltrow, I Want a Cowboy by Reba McEntire, It's a Long Way to the Top by Scarlett Pomers, and Cowgirls by Kristy Lee Cook. **

**Reba was dressed provocatively and they were just out having a good time. The singing and dancing was a little suggestive, but Reba and Paige were not inviting male attention. Brock loved the outfit that Paige was wearing as Reba. Reba was flattered because Brock liked the outfit and wasn't interested in Reba as Paige. The funny thing was that Van was attracted to Paige and Reba as Paige, and then it was revealed that Paige was Reba's sister and Cheyenne's aunt. **

**He made plenty of comments about how sexy she was after Reba came down the stairs as Paige. This is the second time that he has unknowingly shown attraction to Reba. The first time was when he accidentally climbed into bed with her. Reba was flirting with Brock as Paige. Van accidentally stumbles onto how Reba as Paige still acts like Reba. Reba had fun performing one rock song and three country songs with Paige in front of Mike, Brock, Van and Kyra. Michael Davis showed up to see Paige and Reba. He was surprised by the way that Reba as Paige greeted him. **

**Paige has been very angry with him lately. Greg Brooks arrived. His greeting unnerved Reba, who found it hard to play along by cozying up to her ex, who'd been trouble for her in the past. Paige as Reba ran after Michael to calm him down after he heard the news that Paige was engaged to Greg. After Greg figured out that Reba had switched places with Paige, he took her into her house to talk with her privately. This scared Reba because of the trouble that he'd been to her in the past. She hoped that Brock would somehow come into the house and rescue her.**

**Would Mike or Brock be able pick the real Reba and pass her test? What will happen between Reba and Greg now? What will Paige say to Michael? What does Greg have to say to Reba? What will happen between Elizabeth and Reba? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal __Paige sharing some shocking news with Reba and Mike. Paige's fiancé is Greg Brooks, Reba's ex. He's got a grudge against Reba and Mike. When Reba gets into a frightening situation, she gets another unexpected surprise. Elizabeth comes to her rescue, bringing Brock with her. Paige has gotten herself into a love triangle with Michael Davis and Greg Brooks. She also got herself into trouble with her ex last June. He won't let her forget about it and she needs Reba's advice._

_Sam and Jenny arrive with big news for Mike. Mike wants to propose but Reba is against that. Mike presents Reba with a promise ring. Reba promises to think about marrying Mike. She asks Mike to consider giving her more time to get married instead of the December deadline. She wants to spend the rest of her life with Mike but is afraid of what marriage might do to the relationship. Mike leaves for a week to Oklahoma. Reba arranges to meet Mike for a weekend in McAlester with the kids so the families can meet each other._

_Spoiler: Unfortunately it will be revealed that Reba has tested Mike before like this by impersonating Kim. Mike hasn't done well before. Elizabeth knows who the real Reba is. It will be revealed why she does. Brock has some suspicions about who the real Reba is. All the test has done is to stir up trouble between Mike and Reba. Paige has some major problems that she needs help with. This serves to divide Mike and Reba, instead of uniting them._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

"So what kind of game are you playin' with my fiancé, Reba honey? How'd you get Paige to agree to this?"

"How'd you know that it was me?"

"Because only Reba would respond to affection like that. Paige is in love with me. She would never hurt me. She is also a very affectionate person. She doesn't mind being touched frequently."

"Eww! I don't wanna know about that. I can't believe that someone who once said that he loved me would try to hurt me like this."

"What's the matter, Reba? Do you still have feelings for me yourself?"

"Don't make me laugh. You make me sick. Paige is young enough to be your daughter! She's my sister and you're my ex."

"Kim slept with Mike's brother. He's very familiar with these situations. Do you wanna tell him that we're exes?"

"No, I don't. You know that. I don't ever want anyone to know that I stooped low enough to date you?"

"The high and mighty Reba doesn't want Prince Charming to know what a lying, manipulative slut she really is."

"How dare you?"

"How dare I? Let's see. I loved you. I thought that you loved me. We were as close as two people can be. We almost made love. I touched every inch of you once. We got interrupted and you said that you wanted to wait. I was okay with that, but you certainly couldn't wait to get your hands on Mike Holliway. You lied to me to go to a party to be with him twice. You were my girlfriend and I barely got to kiss you while you let Mike Holliway do anything he wanted in a closet. You accepted a date with my best friend, Tommy Johnson right after we broke up. Why did you go out with him if you dumped me to be with Mike Holliway?"

"I was flattered by the attention. He'd been flirting with me all summer. Mike wasn't back in town yet. It was just one date. It was supposed to be fun."

"You plan little tests to find out if you can trust guys not to cheat. You switched places with Kim in the past to find out if the guy can figure out who the real Reba is. Nice idea. I had one too. I'd heard about what you did with Mike Holliway so I decided to see if you could really be trusted. Tommy was only flirting with ya because I asked him to. I was testing my girlfriend all summer to see if she'd cheat on me."

"I heard all about your little plan. You set up the date between Tommy and me to get your revenge. And you got it! You taught me a lesson that I will never forget! Get away from me and get out of my house!"

"Why? What are you gonna do, scream? I don't think so. Someone might hear you. Then you'd have to explain why you were screaming." Greg inched closer to Reba.

"Please go and leave me and my sister alone."

"I'm not breaking up with Paige. She is my dream come true. She is everything that I thought that you were. She is the type of woman that I've always wanted to be with. She is sweet, warm, and honest. She doesn't play games like you. She doesn't cheat and she doesn't lie. I'm gonna marry her and spend the rest of my life with her."

"No! I'll tell her about us, I swear."

"What will that do for you? Your sister will feel betrayed because you didn't trust her enough to tell her about our past before. Or she'll think that you're lying to split us up. She'll tell Mike and you'll be in trouble with him. Then where will you be without your precious Mike? If she gets mad enough at you, she just might be inclined to let me take her to Vegas and marry her right away. She's a lot like you, Reba."

"Please don't do that. I won't say anything. You've gotten what you want. Now, please go away!"

"So do you still flirt with any man that comes your way like you did before? Let's see. After Mike, there was Terry-his brother, Parker Reynolds-from his fraternity, Brock-his best friend, and half a dozen other college guys that entered the bar. There are rumors that you even kept on seeing Mike after you married his best friend. I know that something was going on because Paige tells me everything. I know that you had an affair with a married man, the husband of a woman who used to be your best friend. You've been around the block way more than Kim Campbell."

Reba seethed with mounting rage. "You don't know what you're talkin' about, you rotten SOB!" She raised her hand up to slap him across the face.

She was halted by an iron grip on her wrist. "Not so fast, Reba honey, I just want one more little taste what Mike got to enjoy while you were mine. Mike sampled what was mine and now I'm gonna sample what's his. After all, what I see right now is already mine." Panic like she'd never known before welled in her throat.

Greg had her backed up to the wall. He was just about to lower his mouth on hers, his hands were moving towards her body.

"Don't make me hurt you!" a little voice called out.

Greg put his hands on Reba to hold her in place. He turned around to see where the voice came from. Reba's eyes flew up when she heard that her precious granddaughter was in the room while this was happening. She had to get Elizabeth out of there. Elizabeth had a pair of scissors in her hands.

"Honey, it's okay. I'm just playing a game with your aunt. Everything's okay. She's my girlfriend."

"No, that's not. That's my grandma. Get off of her now. She's not your girlfriend. She loves my grampy. Don't make me hurt you!" Elizabeth raised her hand and the scissors opened, then went flying toward Greg. Greg caught them.

"How cute! The kid is a freak like you. I knew that you'd pass it on. Are all of your kids freaks too?"

Reba wanted to get Elizabeth out of there before Greg could do or say anything else. "Elizabeth honey, I'm okay now. Please go outside and play. I promise that everything is okay." Reba said in a calm, gentle voice. Elizabeth walked out the back door.

"Good girl, now where were we?" Greg said menacingly. Twisting his arms and arching her body, she sought to get free. His hand moved under her skirt to skim her hips and thighs. His kiss was punishing and angry.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth ran to the garage. "Grampy, please come inside with me."

"Not now, Sweetheart. Aunt Kyra is gonna sing for us."

Elizabeth pulled at Brock's shirt. He bent down to talk to her. "What's the matter, Sweetie?"

She whispered into his ear. "The bad man is inside hurting Grandma. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."

Elizabeth's words sent Brock running towards the house. He came into the living room to see Greg's lips and hands on her body. He couldn't believe what he saw. It was Paige and her fiancé, but Elizabeth insisted that it was Reba.

"Get off of her right now! Are you okay, Reba honey?" Brock spoke harshly to Greg, then adjusted his tone for Reba.

Reba's eyes flew up when she heard Brock called her name. "No. This isn't what it looks like."

"We're just having a little fun, that's all. The lady asked for it. She always does." Greg responded.

Greg's words made Brock fly into a rage. He pushed Greg down on the ground and his fists flew with rage.

"Come on, man. I was just kiddin' around. She's just a lyin' cheatin' slut. She cheated on me when she was mine. She cheated on Mike. She cheated on you. She cheated on Mike with you, didn't she? Isn't that what she's been doin' lately?"

"Stop, Brock! Let him go. He isn't worth it."

"Are you kiddin' me? You want me to let him go?"

"Yeah, I'm done being scared." Reba said to Brock. Then she addressed Greg. "I'm gonna explain myself to you once and only once."

"I have never ever cheated on Mike. I love him. I'm very sorry that I hurt you, but I can't help the way that I've always felt about Mike Holliway. He is my soul mate. I knew that even back then. I didn't know that he'd come back to town so that's why I took a chance and did what I did. I cheated on you and I lied about it. Get over it. It was twenty-eight years ago. What you did was way worse. You plotted with Tommy Johnson to hurt me and I've got the scars to prove it. You're lucky that I don't take the chance to tell my sister that you were part of it."

"Part of what? What scars? Boo hoo. You're the one who willingly went on the date with him and had sex with him in his car."

"Your little test ended with Tommy trying to force himself on me."

"You're lyin'. He told me how you asked for it in the car."

"That's the lie. I was a virgin. You know that. Why would I want my first time to be with a guy I barely knew in his car? He tried to force me and I've got the scar to prove it." Reba responded by lifting up her hair in the back of her neck. There was a scar on the side of her neck near her shoulder.

"That's where his knife went into me. There was a struggle. He stabbed me there. I barely managed to get away. He hurt me just like you tried to hurt me today. For the record, there is nothin' going on between Brock and me. We were married for about eighteen years. We divorced about six years ago. He's married to someone else. Mike and I were finished by the time I started seeing Brock in the first place. Believe what you want. If you're smart, you'll get on the first plane back to Oklahoma."

Greg nodded his head and silently retreated from Reba's house. Brock moved in an instinctive gesture of comfort. Gathering her into his arms, he held her snugly. Reba felt her pulse, blood pressure, and the rest of her body start to return to normal. She felt her abilities return to her. She started to shimmer and change back into Reba while still in Brock's embrace. Just then, someone who looked and sounded like Henry came up to the pair. "Hi! What's goin' on, Grampy?"

Reba laughed and pulled out of Brock's arms. "You're gettin' old. Your own son is callin' ya Grampy now."

Brock's features changed from loving to concern. "Henry, you're supposed to call me Daddy, not Grampy."

Henry giggled. "I would, if you were my daddy." He started to shimmer and change into Elizabeth before their very eyes.

"Elizabeth, where is Henry? Does he look like you?" Brock asked.

Elizabeth giggled again. "No, silly. He's just outside. I wanted to try Grandma's new trick. It's fun."

Reba laughed right along with Elizabeth. "Your son is not having an identity crisis, Brock. Our granddaughter was just playing a game with us."

"So, she's like you?"

"Apparently."

"Elizabeth, Grandma has a special red mark on her shoulder. Do you have one?" Reba asked Elizabeth. She pushed the side of her shirt off her shoulder to show Elizabeth her mark.

"Yep, I have a mark like that on my foot. See?" Elizabeth took off her sandal and showed Reba the bottom of her foot.

"I've taken care of her all of her life and I've never noticed that before."

"Hey, Grandma?"

"Yes, honey."

"Are we freaks?"

"No, we are just very special people. I got my magic from my grandma because my mommy wasn't born with magic. Your mommy wasn't born with magic either. Aunt Kyra and Uncle Jake weren't born with magic either. That makes you very special."

"It's lots of fun, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. You know Grandma's boyfriend, Mike?"

Elizabeth nodded. Reba continued. "I turned him into a frog when I was eight years old. I got in trouble with my grandma for it. You are never allowed to do that. You can't turn Henry into frogs and things like that, okay?"

"Okay, but can I do magic on Daddy?"

Reba laughed and hugged her little granddaughter. "Maybe, but only if Grandma is around. Don't try magic on Daddy without me, okay?"

"It's a deal! Hey, Grandma?"

"What, Sweetie?"

"Do you and Grampy still love each other? You still love Grampy a lot, don't you?"

Reba's eyes grew wide and she was silently shocked. She looked at Brock, silently pleading with him to help answer the question.

"Yes, Elizabeth, Grandma and I still love each other. Grandma loves me and I love her very much!"

Reba recovered from the shock and quickly added to Brock's response. "We are a family and in a family, people always love each other. Just like we love you."

Elizabeth vigorously shook her head. "No, not like that. Grampy lives here with you like Daddy lives with Mommy. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about it."

"I live here because this is my home and you guys are my family. I do love Grandma with all my heart."

"Brock, you are not helping any. We are living like this for just a little while. Barbra Jean and Grampy are having some problems and he needed a place to stay. Grandma loves Mike in the grownup way. I'm gonna tell you a secret that your mommy and daddy don't know yet. I'm gonna marry Mike and we're gonna have a baby."

"Is there a baby in your tummy right now like Mommy's was?"

"No. Grandma is gonna pray really hard for God to give her one soon."

"Is that how people get babies?"

"Yes. God gave you to your mommy and daddy. God gave Henry to Grampy and Barbra Jean."

"Okay." Elizabeth seemed satisfied by Reba's answer. She turned and skipped outside through the back door.

Brock and Reba sat down on the stairs together. "If Mike got turned into a frog, then why didn't know that about you being a ..."

"The word is witch. It's not a dirty word. People like Greg have always made me feel bad about my magic. I used to do it all the time when I was little. When I turned Mike into a frog, my grandma said that it was bad for me to do that to my future husband. She can see things in the future. I can too, but I don't get premonitions that much. It was funny. I turned him back and then he kissed me. I had a premonition and that's when I knew that Grandma was right. Everyone has seen that TV show, Bewitched. Who would want to be married to someone like that? So my grandma did a memory spell and wiped the whole thing away from his mind. He easily accepted my explanations because he really didn't wanna believe that I could be someone like that."

"Speaking of that, our granddaughter is a witch and her name is Elizabeth Montgomery. Her parents named her after the actress from Bewitched. That's pretty funny, right?"

"Yeah, it is. Do you have any questions for me? 'Cause this is the only time that I'm gonna answer them."

"About my room shaking?"

"Nana really hates you for some reason. She got Terry to start haunting the house. Sorry."

"Why haven't I seen anything else strange happening around here? We've been a family for twenty-four years and I've never seen you do anything until lately."

"When John died, I was very depressed. I blamed magic for my problems. It felt like I was cursed to lose John and Mike. So I had my grandmother bind my abilities. I wanted a life without magic. I didn't want our kids born with magic. Then suddenly I realized how much I wanted to be the person that I used to be. That was the woman that Mike fell in love with. He loves me even if I'm different and life with me is anything but normal. There's been a new premonition. I'm gonna have a baby that's born with magic. Somehow I don't mind so much anymore. I love Elizabeth. I don't love her any less for being born with magic. My daughter will be just as loved and wanted."

Brock's arms encircled her, one hand in the small of her back. A wave of electricity flew through her. Her mind suddenly got a vision.

**Reba was standing in a gown with a veil that looked Cheyenne's at Cheyenne and Van's second wedding. She was walking down the same aisle that she walked down in Vegas the first time. She had a bouquet of ****pink hydrangea, light pink roses, crème roses, pink sweet pea, pink bouvardia, stephanotis and dusty miller contrasted against variegated pittosporum bound with a satin ribbon. A thoughtful smile curved her mouth. She felt a bottomless peace and satisfaction. The vision ended.**

She didn't see the face of her groom, but she knew that it had to be Mike. The wedding was exactly as Mike and Reba had discussed. The peace that she felt could only be due to the fact that she was finally meeting her destiny in marrying her soul mate with whom she'd have a beautiful healthy new baby girl. That was Mike.

Brock watched Reba, who looked like she was in a trance. Her lashes flickered and she sighed happily. She was out of whatever it was. "What was that?" he asked.

She broke into an open, friendly smile. "A premonition of my future. It was wonderful."

"What was it like?" Brock asked with clear interest.

Reba was not used to having someone actually be genuinely interested in her abilities without mocking or scorn. "I can show you better than I can tell you. Sometimes I get visions of memories and sometimes I get visions of the future. It happens sometimes when I'm touched like when we were on the first double date and I hugged Mike after he got done singing. I get this wave of electricity and the vision comes. The one that night was really something. That's why I kissed Mike in front of you. I'm sorry about that, by the way. I can't control how I respond to the visions sometimes. I have the ability to show you what they are though. I can take your hand and let you see what I see. Here."

Reba took Brock's hand and let him see the vision that just came into her mind. The vision ended and Brock was questioning part of it in his mind. "What was that?" he asked her.

"My wedding. It was beautiful, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. Who are you marrying? I noticed a faceless groom."

"My visions aren't as clear and detailed as my grandmother's. That was obviously Mike. It was the exact wedding that we've talked about."

"Okay, honey. Well, it's clear that you are very happy about getting married."

"Maybe on the day of the wedding. But I'm terrified right now. I have to be sure before I get married again. I can't bear to get divorced again. I know that I'm not strong enough to survive another one."

"Sweetheart, I hope that you never have to find out. I can promise you that your next husband will work his hardest to make you the happiest wife in the world." Brock rubbed Reba's arm affectionately and another wave of electricity flew through her. Her mind suddenly got a flash of memory.

**Flashback-** **"Hello, ladies. Can I get you a drink?" the bartender offered. **

**"Absolutely," Lori Ann replied. **

**"Are you friends of Mike's or are you one of his fans?" he commented with a smirk and with a Texas drawl in his voice. **

**"We've known Mike and Terry all our lives. Will you excuse us for a second?" Reba responded. Lori Ann smiled at the blonde hair bartender. After talking with Lori Ann, Reba saw the guy walk towards her.**

**"Hi. I got Terry to tend the bar. I was hoping that I'd get to dance with you tonight. What's your name?" he asked. **

**"My name is Reba McKinney. I know that you're Mike's buddy from Texas. I need you to do me a favor," she responded. **

**"What do you need?" he asked. **

**"Kim is just going out with Mike out of spite. We basically hate each other. Mike fell right into her trap and I lose my chance with him. I really want him to notice me. I've waited two years for this. I need to get his attention. I think that if he sees me with you, then he'll get jealous. All you have to do is do whatever you usually do when you put the moves on a girl at a party," she explained. **

**"Mike will kill me!" he fired back. **

**Reba ran her fingers up and down his arm. "Come on, please help me. You were already flirting with me. Just keep doing that," she begged. **

**Brock pulled her onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms tight around Reba to slow dance. Reba smiled. Brock kept flirting with her. Reba smiled and laughed. They had another drink, and then Brock pulled Reba into a kiss. The kiss was longer than Reba had expected. ****Flashback ended.**

Even in remembrance, she felt the intimacy of his kisses. She had a burning desire, an aching need, for another kiss. Reba captured Brock's lips with reckless abandon. During the kiss, Brock got to see the vision that she was reacting to. She suddenly became embarrassed by her reaction to the vision. She had to conquer her involuntary reactions to visions of Brock. "Try not to touch me so much, you mo-ron."

"I would, but you're so darn irresistible. It was just like the first time."

An unwelcoming blush crept into Reba's cheeks. She laughed to cover her obvious embarrassment. Brock knew that something good was happening. She had a vision of a faceless groom. That meant that he still had a chance to be the groom in Reba's wedding. She did the soul mate spell and they ended up in bed together making love that night and in the morning. She responded to the tea with the love spell. They spent a perfect weekend together in each other's arms without any magic to create the situation.

Reba fought off her attraction for Brock whenever they were in close physical proximity. She had two visions back to back when he touched her. One was from the first time they met, leading Reba to kiss him when the vision was over. He knew that he had to be the groom in the previous vision. How could he make that happen when he happened to be in love with the most stubborn woman in the world? Reba's grandmother had better visions of Reba's future and she seemed furious with Brock.

It had to have something to do with Reba's future daughter, the one that he heard her talking about with her grandmother and her sister. Her grandmother's anger had to be because he was a threat to Reba's future with Mike. Was he actually supposed to be Maggie's father? Maggie was such a nice name. That was the name that Reba wanted to give their child when she was pregnant before. They were supposed to have a child right now that was the same age as Elizabeth. He felt that loss and wondered if Reba still felt that loss too. He wasn't sure before about having another child when he was with Barbra Jean.

Somehow, he didn't feel the same apprehension with Reba. He regretted the vasectomy and the hurt that it caused Reba. He was so glad that he got it reversed back in January. He had Reba to thank for that decision too. Who knew that when he had it done it would be the thing that brought him back together with Reba, instead of Barbra Jean? She was easier to persuade when she wasn't in another relationship, but she was with Mike now. How was he supposed to get Reba alone for any significant amount of time in order to conceive a child, especially if she was already working on baby making with Mike Holliway?

The next day, Reba was sitting on the couch watching TV with Mike. Brock and Barbra Jean were sitting on the loveseat. They were watching an old episode of Dynasty from season seven called A Love Remembered. It was one of Reba's favorites.

"You're lucky that Kim had a copy of this," Mike commented.

Reba rolled her eyes. "I'll remember to thank her later."

"Why do you like this particular episode so much?"

"Are you kidding me? Let me explain it to ya. Blake is married to Krystle, the blonde, who's his second wife, even though Alexis, his first wife is still in love with him. Blake and Alexis have three children together. They compete in business together. If she can't have him back, then she'll destroy him in business. She nearly succeeded, but then there was an explosion overseas and they both nearly died. They wake up in a hospital.

Alexis is okay with minimal injuries, but Blake is in more serious condition. He wakes up with amnesia. He thinks that it's twenty-three years earlier and Alexis is still his wife. At first she plays along with it to get an advantage on a business deal, but then she keeps it up because she still loves him. It's her only chance to be with him again. It's a fan favorite because fans always wondered what it would be like if Blake and Alexis were ever reunited. The divorced couple who may still have feelings for each other makes for an interesting TV show especially when they drag it out for years."

"So you would actually like for me to have amnesia?"

"It would be very interesting if you didn't remember anything from the last twenty-five years and I got a chance at a fresh start with you. There wouldn't be all of the bad stuff to get in the way. We would just love each other like we did back then. We'd make new memories. Everything would be like new again. It'd be an adventure. Rediscovering each other all over again might be sexy."

"Darlin', we will be rediscovering each other very soon."

"Oh, yeah? When?"

"Marry me, Sal."

"No. You stink at proposing. Show me that you really know. Give me a proposal that will knock my socks off and I'll say yes. We need a vacation. We need to go to a romantic setting together. Where can we go?"

Mike put her arms around Reba and pulled her tight. "I have an idea. I have to go back to McAlester for a week. Why don't you come out for the weekend? It'll give you a great opportunity to get to know the kids and we'll have plenty of time alone together at our place. Think about it. We'll get on stage and sing together with Paige and Michael."

"I love that idea, but I'm a little nervous about being in the apartment again. So many bad memories with our breakup and my heart attack. I haven't been able to stay the night there since my heart attack. I mean I died on the floor. The baby died there. It was hard enough for me to go in there the last time."

"Oh Sal, Is that why you did that? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just couldn't tell you that. That's our home. How do I tell you that I can't bear to enter our home?"

"Is that what you were trying to tell me in the hospital?"

Reba nodded. "It was easier to come back here like nothing ever happened." Her tone was dejected and emotionless.

"I hate when you do this. We should work on dealing with this together. I've got an idea to help in Oklahoma. We could try couples counseling. We aren't the first couple to lose a child. Okay, it's happened more than once. We have to work on getting past this together."

"How about seeing Dr. Morgan?"

"Dr. Morgan, your ex?"

"Yeah, he already knows quite a bit about what happened. He encouraged me to try again with you months ago. You say that you're gonna working on your jealousy so it's a good time to show me that you can."

Barbra Jean interjected her opinion on the matter. "Dr. Morgan is a great marriage counselor. He helped me and Brock so much. I can't imagine what it is like to lose a child. Brock and I are so blessed to have Henry."

Reba's face clouded. "Yes, BJ, you got very lucky to get a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child, and a loving husband." Her tone was filled with hidden malice. It went right over Barbra Jean's head. However, Brock understood exactly what Reba meant. Barbra Jean's happy life came at the expense of Reba's happy life. Reba suffered deep personal losses from which she hasn't fully recovered yet.

"Sal, I'll do whatever you want. We'll go see Dr. Morgan. I love you, darlin'."

There was a knock at the door. A delivery man had a bouquet of twenty-four beautiful long stem pink roses arranged with baby blue eucalyptus in a cinched glass hurricane vase. Mike gave the bouquet to Reba. She smiled warmly at him.

"Twenty- four roses, one for every year that we've been apart. I also have another surprise for you." Mike added.

"So do I. You can give me your surprise right after I go upstairs to get yours." Reba put the flowers down on an end table and ran upstairs.

When she came back downstairs, Mike was waiting for her with a guitar in his hand.

Just then, Brock's head was full of memories. He was reminded of a conversation that he had with Reba on the telephone when she was in Oklahoma after they filed for divorce.

**Flashback- **_**"****I like the sexy thing that you're doing with your voice."**_

_**"****Really? What do you like about it?"**_

_**"****I can't quite describe it. It's just turning me on. I also love being sung to, you know."**_

_**"****Really?"**_

_**"****Yep, it works as an aphrodisiac for me. I'm a sucker for a man with a guitar. You'll have to sing to me in the privacy of our bedroom sometime."**_

Another part of the conversation flashed in his mind.

_**Reba started sobbing heavily. "Wrong answer, Brock. I'm your wife and the mother of your children right now. I don't think it's so wrong for me to want to carry another one of our children as a proof of our love and commitment. I see that the last thing that you want is to have a baby with me, but you're having a baby with Barbra Jean. That's just great! I just want a fresh start for our family, but you don't really want the same things that I want. That's what you're telling me now. I see what's going on. **_

_**You are like a child. You only want a toy after someone else plays with it. Another man might want me and that's why you've suddenly decided that you want me. You just don't want me to end up with Mike. Let me tell you something. Mike does want another child with me. He wants two more children with me and he's got three of his own. **_

_**Together, we have a total of six kids, plus Van and their baby makes eight. If you add two more, that's ten kids. He is willing to love my children as part of the package. That's how much he loves me. I see that is not the kind of life that you see for us. I feel sorry for you. We could've had something wonderful."****Reba felt her body reacting to the emotion and the stress. She started throwing up in the trash can by the bed.**_

_**"****What's wrong, honey? Are you okay?"**_

_**"****No, Brock. I'm sick. I've been sick. You'd have noticed that before now if you hadn't been so selfish. You haven't been around to notice, except for the ten minutes you spend at the house while you are picking up or dropping off the kids. I need some rest. I don't want to throw up again. This conversation is over."**_

_**"****Wait! Have you seen a doctor? What's goin' on?"**_

_**"****Spare me the last minute concern. It's too late. You're never around anyway when things get tough. I'll make this easy for you, okay. It's not your problem. I can take care of myself. I've been doing that for the last year or so. **_

_**I'm exhausted. If you cared at all, you'd let the conversation end because you'd know that I can't handle any more. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. See that's what a real partner does. A real partner knows what the other person wants and needs. A real partner makes sure that the other person gets what they want and need because they love that person more than they love themselves." Reba explained.**_

_**"****Fine. I'll let you go now. I really love you, honey. I'm sorry that you're sick."**_

_**"****You should be, you selfish moron." Reba fired back.**_

_**"****Fine. I'm a selfish moron, but I'm a selfish moron who loves you and I'm willing to change."**_

_**Lori Ann heard the angry exchange and Reba's vomiting. She came running into the room. She took the phone.**_

_**"****I expected better from you, Brock. You've done this to her for the fifth and final time. She has people who really care about her to help her through this now. You've proven just how dependable you are when it comes to situations like this. Go back to the bimbo. She allows you to continue acting like a selfish child. That's all you really want anyway. Reba's giving you a way out. Take the easy way out. You know that you want to." Lori Ann hung up on Brock.**_** Flashback ended.**

Was he really so selfish that he didn't even take the time to connect the dots? She was his wife and he practically handed her over to Mike on a silver platter. He didn't even bother paying attention to what was being said at the time. This was one of the most important conversations of his life and he never even listened to what Reba and Lori Ann were trying to tell him. He felt as much to blame for Reba losing the baby as Reba already did to herself. She must have thought that he didn't want his own child. She must have thought that Barbra Jean and Henry were already more important to him than she was.

He unintentionally turned his back on his own wife and child. No wonder why Reba didn't want him back. He thought back to the days after she returned from Oklahoma six years ago. She seemed tired, withdrawn, and sad. He thought it was because of her surgery, but there was no surgery! Every time she got angry with him, he now understood why. That anger was justified. How in the world was he going to make that up to Reba? Was he really just going to hand her over to Mike again without a fight?

Mike had Reba sit down in a nearby chair. Mike played the Dynasty theme song on the guitar and that made her burst with laughter. She was smiling wider than Brock had ever seen her smile. After that, Mike started to sing a song to her, I Wanna Grow Old With You by Westlife.

**Another day without your smile**  
**Another day just passes by**  
**But now I know how much it means**  
**For you to stay right here with me**

**The time we spent apart will make our love grow stronger**  
**But it hurts so bad, I can't take it any longer**

**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna die lyin' in your arms**  
**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna be lookin' in your eyes**  
**I wanna be there for you**  
**Sharin' in everything you do**  
**I wanna grow old with you**

**A thousand miles between us now**  
**It causes me to wonder how**  
**Our love tonight**  
**Remains so strong**  
**It makes our risk right all along**

**The time we spent apart will make our love grow stronger**  
**But it hurts so bad, I can't take it any longer**

**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna die lyin' in your arms**  
**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna be lookin' in your eyes**  
**I wanna be there for you**  
**Sharin' in everything you do**  
**I wanna grow old with you**

**Things can come and go, I know**  
**But baby I believe**  
**Something's burnin' strong between us**  
**It makes it clear to me**

**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna die lyin' in your arms**  
**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna be lookin' in your eyes**  
**I wanna be there for you**  
**Sharin' in everything you do**

**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna die lyin' in your arms**  
**I wanna grow old with you**  
**I wanna be lookin' in your eyes**  
**I wanna be there for you**  
**Sharin' in everything you do**

**I wanna grow old with you**

Reba's eyes filled tears. "That was beautiful. Thank you."

"But I'm not finished yet." Mike got down on one knee in front of Reba and got a little black box out of his pocket. He took her hand in his.

Reba panicked. "Please don't propose again. I love you, but I'm not ready."

"Wait a minute, honey. You've always got to be the one in charge of everything. We'll talk about who's the boss of who later. Let me finish. Will you Reba Nell McKinney Hart, please spend the rest of your life with me and be the mother of my children? This is not a marriage proposal." He opened the box. Reba gasped softly. "I'm asking you to promise to think about marrying me. Can you give me an answer in a week in Oklahoma?"

"If you've got a spectacular proposal, then yes I'll have an answer about marriage. In the meantime, I have an answer to the rest. Yes, I'll spend the rest of my life with you. Yes, I'll have your children. Where did you find my promise ring?"

"It was in the last box that I looked in. The apartment still isn't in one piece." Mike explained. Reba giggled.

_Author's note: The ring that Mike gave Reba is from the Cherished Promise Collection at Zales, this exquisite 10K gold ring features three sparkling prong-set diamonds that glitter brightly. Swooping around the stones, a diamond-decorated shank provides elegance to this design, and brings the total diamond weight to a thoughtful 1/5 ct. The signature of the Cherished Promise Collection is a hidden sapphire gemstone. Said to bring the wearer light, joy and peace, this hidden stone symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness._

Barbra Jean watched this scene with conflicted emotions. She was happy for Reba, who was her best friend; but she was also sad for Brock. She wanted the two people that she was closest to in the world to be together. She knew that they might still be together if she hadn't interfered. She looked over at Brock. He looked as if he'd lost everything in the world. She decided to say something to remind the other couple that they were still in the room.

"So where did ya get the ring, Mike?" Barbra Jean inquired.

"She doesn't say yes to marriage proposals easily so I got her a promise ring and she promised to give me an answer to a proposal after she turned eighteen."

Reba protested. "Only because seventeen is too young to think about marriage. I had my whole life ahead of me and I didn't want us to have a baby too young and not finish college. I wanted us to have a brighter future."

"Well, we had a baby and didn't finish college. The only way that my future will be brighter is if I have you in it." Mike responded.

Reba put her hand over her heart. She was clearly touched by Mike's sentiment, but she responded in typical Reba fashion. "We had a baby because you couldn't keep your hands off me, you mo-ron." She slapped him upside the back of his head.

Mike chuckled. "I love you too, darlin'."

"Now I'm not so sure that I should give you these." Reba said, referring to what was still in her hand.

"Please, Sweetheart, let me see what you've got for me."

Reba handed him the envelope. It contained the photos that Reba posed for as Mike's wedding present in Las Vegas. The redhead was posed on the bed, wearing Mike's blue and white high school football jersey with the number 24 on it.

"Brock helped me with these. I was explaining to him that marriage is not a jail sentence. It can be the most wonderful way to spend the rest of your life in the arms of the person that you love." Reba explained.

"You've got a lifetime sentence planned for the poor guy who plans to marry you." Brock responded.

"Ha, ha. Brock, very funny. It was funnier the first time that you said that to me twenty-five years ago." Reba said sarcastically. Reba and Mike moved to sit back down on the couch.

"So how did you two lovebirds meet?" Barbra Jean asked.

"It's a funny story. I was five years old and Mike was seven years old. Terry, his brother, kissed me on the lips."

"I pulled him away from her. Instead of being grateful, she punched me in the stomach."

"I told him that I could take care of myself."

"Every guy wants to feel like he can protect the girl. But I realize now that's how Reba shows love when she's uncomfortable or frustrated."

"It's how all the guys fall in love with me. How about I share some love on the back of your head right now? After all, I know how much you like being dominated." Reba quipped. She teased him by raising her hand to pretend to smack the back of his head.

"That was just a couple of times in bed. She's a real wild one in the bedroom."

Reba blushed. "I handcuffed him to the bed and did a sexy striptease for him a couple of times. Of course, there's also the time that he wanted to strip for me. I ended up undressing him, but he wasn't allowed to touch me until I said so. He really liked that." Reba giggled.

"She's such a control freak." Mike teased.

"Come on. We challenge each other and you like that. I don't let you get away with anything. You're not afraid to stand up to me when it matters. I'm not like one of your other bimbos and you like that. Admit it."

Brock now knew what it felt like to be Reba. She had to deal with hearing about all kinds of intimate private moments between Barbra Jean and Brock because Barbra Jean was too naïve to understand that it might hurt Reba to hear about Brock being intimate with another woman. Brock knew the feeling now. It hurt like heck. He was trying to reconcile the image of his Reba with the woman that Mike was describing. He ended up being married to someone who hid a part of herself from him because she didn't feel that he was her soul mate and that knowledge hurt Brock to the core. Now he knew how Reba must've felt when he told her that Barbra Jean was the love of his life.

_Author's note: I know at this point you are mad at me for torturing Brock like this. Think about it this way-Brock treated Reba like this for years. There is no way that she should take him back without him learning his lesson. How can he learn and grow to become a better husband if he doesn't learn his lesson? The only way for him to do that is for him to walk a mile in Reba's shoes. So I apologize for these types of moments that seem to torture poor Brock. He hurt Reba bad. Remember what goes around, comes around. This is karma at work here. _

There was a knock at the front door. Reba rushed over to answer it. Sam, Jenny, Paige, and Michael were at the door. Reba invited them in. Reba had them sit on the couch while she and Mike tried to share the space in the big easy chair.

"This is a wonderful surprise. Sam, what are you and Jenny doin' in Houston? Are you here to visit your dad?"

"Actually we're here to give you guys some big news."

"Well first, let me introduce you to some of my family. This is Brock and his wife, Barbra Jean. My daughter, Cheyenne and her husband, Van are downstairs in their apartment. They should be up here shortly. Brock, this is Sam. Sam is Mike and Kim's son. Jenny is his girlfriend and Paige's best friend. You know Paige and with her is Michael Davis. Michael is a friend of the family and Sam's best friend."

"It's nice to meet ya. Welcome to Houston. I've known your dad since he moved to Dallas when we were kids." Brock shook hands with Sam and Michael.

"Do I see a ring on your finger?" Paige asked excitedly.

"Yes. We've decided to spend the rest of our lives together and have a baby. We're still deciding whether or not to get married in December."

Paige and Jenny squealed. They rushed to hug Reba.

"So you're gonna be my stepmother? I thought that you said that the evil stepmother has left the building." Sam quipped.

"You said that?" Mike asked Reba.

"I was really mad at ya after our fight. Breaking up is hard. Kim and I were havin' an I hate Mike Holliway party. I said a lot of things that I really didn't mean."

Sam interrupted before the conversation could turn into a fight. "So what can we call you Mrs. Hart?

Just then, Van and Cheyenne enter the room from the basement. "Hey, Coach. Hey, Mrs. H. What's goin' on?" Van greeted.

Brock looked over at Van. So did Reba. "I have a great idea. Van calls me Mrs. H. so your kids could call me Mrs. H since Hart and Holliway both start with H. My kids can call you Mr. H." she said.

Brock stared at Reba. He felt like he was being rapidly replaced in her life. Van was calling Mike Coach just like he used to call Brock. Reba was Mrs. H to Mike's Mr. H. This didn't sit well with him. This was his family and he wanted to fight to hold onto it.

Sam continued. "We're here to talk to you both. We wanted to tell ya that we have some news for ya. We just found out that we're havin' a baby and we decided to get married."

"Where are you gonna live? How in the world are you gonna finish college while havin' a baby? Didn't you learn anything from your mother and me?"

"How can you say that? We're twenty-two years old. We're not children."

"Honey, calm down. Everything will be fine. It's wonderful news. Van and Cheyenne have two children and she's finishing college. Van has a successful career. We're having a grandchild together. This is great! Paige lives in an apartment in a building owned by Nana. Paige can move in to our apartment. Sam and Jenny can move into Paige's old apartment. Sam and Jenny both have jobs at the bar and the restaurant. They are much older than we were."

"We're gonna have a grandchild that's the same age as our own children. Don't you think that's a little strange?"

Jenny looks over at Paige. "I don't like the way that this is goin'. Do somethin'." she whispered.

Michael heard what Jenny said. He figured that it was time to let his news out of the bag.

"We're married." Michael announced.

"What? I don't understand. I thought that Paige was engaged to Greg Brooks." Reba responded, standing up.

"I am. But unfortunately, I am also married to Michael. It was an accident."

"What? Paige Michelle McKinney, how do you accidentally get married? What do you think that marriage is a game?" Reba reacted angrily.

"I love this. Your mom is goin' all 'Grr, I'm Reba' on someone and it's not us." Van whispered to Cheyenne excitedly.

"Calm down, Reba. Geez! We're gonna get divorced soon and then I'll get married to Greg."

"Paige, I say this with love. You are outta your mind!"

"That's what I said. She wanted a divorce immediately and I said no way. I'm not letting her out of this lightly." Michael explained.

"How did this happen? When did this happen?" Reba demanded to know.

"The four of us went to Las Vegas for the weekend. We were havin' fun. It was a Friday night. We had a little bit too much to drink. When I woke up the next morning, Michael and I had rings on with a marriage license. He won't let me annul it." Paige answered.

"We can't annul it. The marriage was consummated. I told her to give the marriage a chance. We were in a relationship for six years. I'm not givin' her a divorce until we've been married at least six months." Mike explained.

"When did this happen?"

"June 10th. We flew out on Thursday and got married on Friday." Paige answered.

"June 10th ? That weekend?" Reba questioned.

"Yeah. I called ya on Sunday. I got home on Saturday night."

"She fled our hotel room and hopped a flight home without me." Michael remarked.

Reba was quiet. That was her weekend with Brock. What could she possibly say that wouldn't make her seem hypocritical?

"Mistakes happen."

"Is that all she's gonna say? Man, I wanted to watch someone get in trouble." Van remarked.

"Mistakes happen? That's all you're gonna say to her. I'm very disappointed in them, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Mike responded.

"What is that supposed to mean? If you are referring to us, then you need to remember that you were there too. It takes two to make that type of mistake, you know? At least, she's not pregnant."

"Because you are such a great example. You take her out and party with her like teenagers. You are a mother and you need to be more of a mother figure for her."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You go out and party like a college girl. You should be treating her like you treat Cheyenne or Kyra."

"She's my sister. You are not gonna tell me what to do. In fact, Paige and I are goin' out tonight."

"But I'm leaving in the morning."

"That will give you more time to spend with Sam and Jenny."

"Don't do this."

"What do you want me to do? Have your name tattooed on my backside. I'm not your property. I'm gonna go out and do what I want, when I want.

Brock sat there grinning on the inside. If he played his cards right, Mike would wreck the relationship all on his own. If there's one thing that he knew about Reba, it was that she didn't want to be told what to do. She was a tough, stubborn independent woman. He didn't necessarily agree with Mike. Reba had the right to treat Paige as a sister despite their eighteen year age difference and the fact that Paige was motherless. She seemed in need of some parental guidance that JV and Helen weren't capable of giving her right now. Reba was doing the best that she could. She wasn't Paige's mother and she had the right to have a sisterly relationship with her. Brock wondered what he could do to get back into Reba's sights as a romantic possibility...

What will Reba and Paige do on their night out? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will Reba say to help Paige? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen between Paige and Michael? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_This week's chapter is also dedicated to __merylandrebafan__. Please continue your stories. I really enjoy your writing. _

_Shout out to allabouttonight12: Please continue your story, Web of Lies. It's really good!_

_Patrick Fabian was on the Singing Bee this week. He surprised Melissa Peterman. It was so cute! I loved him on Saved by the Bell: The College Years. He played a college professor._

_I was inspired to write this week by watching Season 1, episode 22-It Ain't Over Till the Redhead Sings and Reba's video for You're Gonna Be on YouTube. I loved the flashbacks._

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

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	36. Alcohol and dreams

_Dear Readers-_

_Every author makes mistakes. I meant to type June 13__th__ instead of June 10__th__. Sorry. It would make no sense for Reba to be in Oklahoma on from June 2__nd__-June 5__th__, be in Houston for the next weekend where Reba fights her attraction to Brock by playfully jumping in a pool on Saturday, June 7__th__ and then go out with Brock six days later on June 10__th__. I did the research and then forgot where I put the timeline notes so I had to guess. So Reba went out on a date with Brock on the same night that Paige accidentally married Michael Davis and that night was Friday, June 13__th__._

_This chapter will be a bit shorter than usual. It's been a hard week at work. I got overly ambitious in writing. I worked on the story mapping for Life As We Knew It with FakeCubicZirconium and I also worked on a fanfic for Knots Landing so I didn't get much writing done on this story. I'm so sorry. I really missed working on this story this week. I'm enjoying my writing on this story. I'm not going to let any more distractions get in the way. I have an idea for a new Reba story based on the movie, Groundhog Day. I'm putting that on the shelf for later. I'm not starting any more stories until I finish this one and Reba Nell Got Married. I will finish this series before continuing with anything new. The exception to this will be the Life As We Knew It story that I'm working on with FakeCubicZirconium._

_If you've seen the movie, Groundhog Day, you know that Bill Murray plays a guy who's trapped reliving the same day over and over again. I'm going to put Brock in that situation, except I'm going to make it Christmas. It will be a lot like the movie. He will be trying to get Reba to fall in love with him, except everyday he wakes up without her again and has to win her heart all over again until they both really fall in love and make a real commitment to each other. That will be after my "Love Again" series is over._

_Foreshadowing is the name of the game in these upcoming chapters. I referred back to previous scenes and conversations in chapter 35. These are important because they hold important clues to future events. I also gave many clues to future events through present character conversations. For example, Reba spoke to Elizabeth about using magic to play tricks on Van. Elizabeth referred to a conversation_ _between Van and Cheyenne about how Brock and Reba really love each other. Van and Cheyenne are trying to help get these two back together. Reba had a vision of a wedding in Vegas. _

_That will obviously be the wedding that she has in Vegas. If you remember, Reba wakes up in Vegas married after a drunken night. In her vision, she is happy about getting married so her groom is either Mike or Brock obviously, but she doesn't know that it's a wedding taking place while they are drunk though. So on December 30__th__, Reba is drunk, happy, and married. Brock tells Reba that her next husband will work his hardest to make her the happiest wife in the world because he intends to be the groom that she saw in her vision. He just doesn't know how to make that happen yet. After this comment, he touches Reba and she has a flashback to the first time that she met Brock. He thought about the baby that Reba was carrying six years ago. _

_He still hasn't talked to Reba about it. She tried to hide a pregnancy and pass Mike off as the father of the baby. That conversation is coming up. The scene where they are watching Dynasty was foreshadowing towards the end of this story and the beginning of Remembering Love Again, which is actually story 3 in this series. Amnesia will be used as a plot device a couple of times in this series. I thought that readers would appreciate the remark that fans enjoy watching __the divorced couple who may still have feelings for each other because makes for an interesting TV show especially when they drag it out for years. Fans wondered what it would be like if Blake and Alexis were ever reunited. Obviously, I was referring back to our favorite divorced couple, Brock and Reba Hart during this conversation about Dynasty. It was a wink to readers about the Reba show. Mike and Reba talk about Reba having to deal with a husband with amnesia. Hint, hint._

_They also talked about amnesia wiping out twenty-five years worth of memories. Poor Reba. These events are coming. Look for Mike to come up with Reba's perfect proposal soon in Oklahoma. Reba can't handle being in their apartment. Mike is leaving for McAlester for a week and suggests this trip at the end of the week. What surprise is in store for Reba in the apartment when she gets to McAlester? Reba and Mike are going for couples counseling with Dr. Jack Morgan to deal with the loss of baby John and other past issues. That ought to be interesting. _

_Brock has memories of conversations with Reba. I referred back to the fact that Brock can make his voice sound like Mike's with just a bit of Texas drawl. Reba said that a man with a guitar was like an __aphrodisiac for her. That was referring to Reba McEntire and Narvel. I was also foreshadowing to what Brock could do to win Reba's heart. She also said that she loved a man who could sing to her. Brock already did that once before on their date in June. He will sing to her again in Oklahoma. _

_In his conversation with Reba in the memory, Reba suffered from pregnancy symptoms. She talked about proof of love, commitment, and the desire for another child. How was he going to prove to Reba that she has always been his most important priority? He just forgot that for awhile while he was in the midlife crisis. How does he share the loss of their child with Reba and let her know that he really wants another baby with her? Some people are upset at how Reba talked about intimate moments between her and Mike. She was talking to Barbra Jean. _

_Barbra Jean started the conversation by asking how_ _Reba and Mike met. She forgot for a moment that it might be a problem for Brock. She thinks that he is moving back towards Barbra Jean. How does Brock prove to Reba that they are soul mates? She is too stubborn to listen right now. She insists that he does his best to be a better husband to Barbra Jean. Mike and Reba have differing opinions about how to handle Paige and it will continue to cause problems in their relationship._

_There is a new poll for this story this week. Please vote with your answer for whether or not __Brock should befriend Mike again__. I really want your feedback for this one. I want to know what you readers think. Please let me know what you think he should do next. Thanks to everyone who voted on the previous poll. Please feel free to take the poll on either site. It lets me know that you are still interested in this story._

_Thanks to everyone who answered the poll question, __Should Brock make a move on Reba in Oklahoma?__ There was a problem with taking the poll on FF. Please feel free to take the poll on ExtremeReba's fanfiction forum. The poll is connected to this week's chapter there. I also added pictures to go with the chapter on Extreme Reba's fanfiction forum. I will be doing this often with the weekly chapter updates. This Sunday, I posted pictures of the promise ring, wedding bouquet, and pink passion rose bouquet from chapter 35._

_Please participate in the polls. The answers to the polls are giving me a lot of feedback on my story. I get to find out how I am doing with my writing when you take the time to vote on the poll questions. Thank you! I also appreciate your comments and reviews. Keep sending them in!_

_It's still October 2008 in the story, and there will be plenty of action in the story right now. Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. Mike is leaving for a week in Oklahoma. Brock is trying to figure out how to win Reba back because he realizes some of the wrong things that he's done to hurt her. There are many memories that are coming up to the surface for Reba and Brock. Paige's problems with Michael Davis have stirred things up between Brock and Reba as Reba conspires to get those two back together. It has also shaken things up between Mike and Reba._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- Reba was quiet. That was her weekend with Brock. What could she possibly say that wouldn't make her seem hypocritical?

"Mistakes happen."

"Is that all she's gonna say? Man, I wanted to watch someone get in trouble." Van remarked.

"Mistakes happen? That's all you're gonna say to her. I'm very disappointed in them, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Mike responded.

"What is that supposed to mean? If you are referring to us, then you need to remember that you were there too. It takes two to make that type of mistake, you know? At least, she's not pregnant."

"Because you are such a great example. You take her out and party with her like teenagers. You are a mother and you need to be more of a mother figure for her."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You go out and party like a college girl. You should be treating her like you treat Cheyenne or Kyra."

"She's my sister. You are not gonna tell me what to do. In fact, Paige and I are goin' out tonight."

"But I'm leaving in the morning."

"That will give you more time to spend with Sam and Jenny."

"Don't do this."

"What do you want me to do? Have your name tattooed on my backside. I'm not your property. I'm gonna go out and do what I want, when I want.

Brock sat there grinning on the inside. If he played his cards right, Mike would wreck the relationship all on his own. If there's one thing that he knew about Reba, it was that she didn't want to be told what to do. She was a tough, stubborn independent woman. He didn't necessarily agree with Mike. Reba had the right to treat Paige as a sister despite their eighteen year age difference and the fact that Paige was motherless. She seemed in need of some parental guidance that JV and Helen weren't capable of giving her right now. Reba was doing the best that she could. She wasn't Paige's mother and she had the right to have a sisterly relationship with her. Brock wondered what he could do to get back into Reba's sights as a romantic possibility...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 35 in the present year of the story- October 2008 with Greg taking Reba into the house. She was too scared to react. He threatened her. Elizabeth identified Reba and ran to get Brock for help. Brock came to Reba's rescue. Elizabeth revealed herself to have magical abilities when she decided to play a trick on Brock and Reba. Reba talked to her about how special she is to have the magic since no one else was born with magic in the family except her and Reba. Elizabeth confronted Brock and Reba about their feelings for each other which was awkward for Reba. **

**Reba tells Elizabeth that she plans to marry Mike and have a baby. Brock and Reba talk about the irony of having a granddaughter who's a witch named Elizabeth Montgomery. Reba had a premonition of her next wedding. She shares her abilities with Brock. She started having flashback memories of her and Brock. It deeply affected her and caused her to kiss Brock again. Brock thinks about the things that he did to screw up his relationship with Reba. He begins to think about how to win Reba back. **

**Mike romances Reba into agreeing to think about marriage. He gives her a promise ring. They talk about Reba's fears and discuss couples counseling. Reba feels comfortable enough to talk about intimate moments** **between her and Mike to Barbra Jean in front of Brock. She is beginning to get comfortable in the new friendly relationship that the four of them share now. **

**Reba put Brock in the "friend" zone. Mike's son, Sam announced that he and his girlfriend, Jenny are having a baby and getting married. Michael announced that he and Paige were accidentally married in Vegas, but Paige wants a divorce without trying to make the marriage work. This upsets Mike and Reba who fight about how to handle Paige.**

**What will Reba and Paige do on their night out? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will Reba say to help Paige? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen between Paige and Michael? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba going out for a night on the town with Paige. She is still angry with Mike. They will make up before he leaves. She is confused about the recent conflict with Mike over Paige. Brock is going to take Reba for another visit to Dr. Baker's office. Brock learns quite a lot about Reba from hanging out with Paige and Reba for a few days._

_Coming up: Brock and Barbra Jean are joining Reba and the kids for the trip to McAlester. They arrive on a Thursday. Brock, Barbra Jean, and Reba have dinner with Reba's grandma and sister. There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

That night, Reba and Paige went out clubbing. Reba's outfit was the same polyester/spandex one-shoulder silhouette dress that draped over her right shoulder and ruched at side with a bubble hem and "Dreamer" sandals that Paige wore as Reba before. Before they left the house, Van made his usual "Va, Va, Voom" comments to both Paige and Reba. Reba was clearly embarrassed, but she did enjoy the appreciative glances that she got from Brock. Cheyenne however was not amused by Van's comments and Van got smacked on the back of his head each time that he made a suggestive remark or look at the two. They chose a nightclub that Reba had never been to before, Club 1415. Paige encouraged Reba to drink Tahitian Sunsets and Reba got Paige to try jello shots since jello shots weren't popular in Oklahoma. They were having a great time.

Reba decided under the influence of alcohol that getting tattoos would be fun. Paige laughed. Prim and proper Reba would be getting a tattoo. Reba chose a tattoo that would be a symbol of her love for baby John and Mike. Her lower back tattoo was of a red heart with a gold banner that said Forever. There were two pink roses on one side of the heart and one pink rose on the other side of the heart. Off to the side was pair of dice to symbolize that their family began in Vegas. Paige chose a lower back tattoo with interconnected gold rings and a pair of dice on the side.

She wanted something to symbolize her marriage in Vegas. She didn't want to be married to Michael anymore, but that didn't mean that it didn't mean something to her at the time. It meant something to her because of the love that they shared over the last six years. She wasn't worried about explaining it to Greg. She planned to tell him that the rings symbolized their marriage and the dice symbolized the luck of good fortune. If she hadn't taken Jenny's shift at Frontier's, she would've never met Greg. Paige was slightly less intoxicated than Reba. It was up to her to figure out a ride home.

Paige called Reba's house to see who could give them a ride back. Brock answered the telephone. He rushed out to pick them up as soon as he found out where they were. He was puzzled that Reba would make such a decision. He told Cheyenne where he was going and headed out the door. Cheyenne went with him. He dropped Cheyenne off at Reba's car so she could take it home. When he arrived at the tattoo parlor, he helped Paige get Reba into his truck.

Paige was still very intoxicated herself. Cheyenne helped Paige get settled into Kyra's attic bedroom while Brock attended to Reba. He thought that she was so adorable when she allowed her to be out of control and let her hair down. He took her upstairs to her room.

"Dance with me," Reba said softly.

"Reba honey, you're very drunk." Brock responded.

"I don't care. Dance with me. What's the matter, don't you wanna?" Reba said dejectedly.

"Honey, I don't wanna take advantage of you. You're drunk. You'll be mad at me tomorrow. Let's get you to bed."

"So you won't dance with me, but you'll sleep with me. Isn't that kinda strange?'

Brock laughed. "Alright, you win. I'll dance with you. I can't argue with your logic, but when you start to lose your balance I'm gonna put you to bed."

He took her into his arms for a slow dance. Reba started to hum a tune.

"Where did you hear that?"

"In Vegas, I think. I hear it in my dreams. I've had this dream before."

"Honey, you're not asleep."

"I know, but I've dreamed about this. This is one of my last chances for fun like this. I'm supposed to be Reba, the pain in the rear. That's Mike's idea of being responsible. I really like you. You're strong." Reba murmured. She reached out to touch his hair and put her lips on his. Brock was so shocked that he lost his footing. They fell onto the bed. Brock was on top of Reba. Reba continued to kiss him. "You're like a fantasy. Do you want me?"

"Yes, honey. I'm always gonna want ya."

"Good." She reached up to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. "Help me get this dress off. We're wearing too many clothes."

She helped him get his shirt off. He helped her get the dress off. He scrambled to get his pants off. She laid back down on the bed.

"You're like the perfect guy," she said before passing out.

Brock was stunned by what just happened. She was lying on the bed in her bra and panties blissfully asleep with a smile on her face. He stood there in his boxers, trying to make sense of what had happened. He climbed into bed beside her. He was going to hold her accountable for her actions in the morning. Something happened. It was a miracle to Brock, but Reba wasn't fully satisfied with her relationship with Mike. That was obvious. He didn't want her to forget about this night.

The next morning, Reba's head was pounding. She put her hand to her head. That's when she realized that she was not alone. She wanted to slowly move her head to look over at who was in bed beside her. The pounding kept her from being able to react like she normally would have. She was scared to look and scared not to look. What would she find? She looked under the sheet at herself.

She was dressed only in her bra and panties. She saw her dress on the floor in a pile of clothes. She assumed that the other clothes belonged to whoever was with her in bed. She turned her head to look to the person in bed with her. It was Brock! She put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Her brain was rapidly searching for a way to get out of this situation. Only one nagging thought entered her mind.

She cheated on Mike. She'd never done that before. This enforced celibacy idea of Mike's wasn't helping their relationship at all. It was just causing more problems. Their relationship used to be extremely physical. She wished that it still was. She'd never have made this mistake if she and Mike were still satisfying each other's needs daily as they had before. Reba's panic rose as she saw Brock's eyes open.

"Good morning, Sunshine!"

"Hi. What happened last night? I remember most of what happened while we were out. What happened after we got home? I can guess by our lack of clothing that something happened."

"The earth moved and the angels wept."

"Oh my Lord, no! I cannot have done something like this." Reba was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

"Reba honey, relax!" Brock tried to calm her breathing down.

"You relax! I've done something terrible. I've actually cheated." She choked out in between gasps.

"Reba, I was only teasing you. Nothing happened. You didn't feel well and I helped you get comfortable, then you passed out. You asked me to stay beside you. I did. I wanted to make sure that you got some help if you needed any. Your sister got bombed too so I figure that I'll have to take care of both of you today. Let me hand you a nightgown so you'll feel better. You can go ahead and get some more sleep. You look like you could use some."

Brock helped Reba get the nightgown on over her bra and panties once her breathing returned to normal. He tucked her back into bed and kissed her forehead. It was still very early in the morning. He got into her shower and changed clothes before lying back down beside her in bed. He didn't want to see her anymore distressed than she already was. His plan for confrontation would have to wait. Reba was sound asleep when he climbed back into bed. She didn't even stir at the change in surroundings when the bed got disturbed by Brock slipping back into it.

Reba was asleep, but not blissfully asleep. Fate has other plans. She awoke alone to the ringing of a telephone. It was Memorial Hospital. Brock had been in a car accident. His SUV had been sideswiped by an oncoming truck. Brock had been admitted to the hospital after the ambulance took him to the hospital's emergency room. Reba drove there as fast as she could. No one was home at the time and she couldn't get a hold of anyone else by phone.

She ran up to the third floor to room 306. Brock was sleep in the bed. His head was bandaged. He looked like he'd suffered from the wreck, but not too much. She was just grateful to see him alive. He opened his eyes.

"Hi. How ya doin'?"

"Hey honey, better now that you're here."

"I came as soon as I got the call. I couldn't get a hold of anyone else though."

"That's okay. Barbra Jean called the kids. She's talkin' to the doctor now. They needed a next of kin. I gave them permission to talk to her since they couldn't get a hold of anyone else right away."

"You look pretty banged up."

"Nah, I'll be okay. The doctor is keeping me overnight for observation. I've got a concussion that seems to have caused some memory loss, but it should be temporary. You can talk to the doctor if you want to."

"That's okay. I'm sure that Barbra Jean has everything under control. Maybe she oughta take care of ya when they release ya from here."

"Why would I wanna do that? I wanna go home with my wife and kids."

"That's what I'm suggesting that you do."

"Are ya tryin' to confuse me? It makes my head hurt, honey. Just take me home tomorrow, okay?"

"I don't wanna make your head hurt, but you really should go home with Barbra Jean and Henry."

"But you're my wife!"

"No, Brock. You're just confused from the wreck, darlin'. We got divorced six years ago and then you married Barbra Jean." She took his hand and patted it gently.

"Then Barbra Jean and I got separated and divorced four years later. Then you and I got remarried."

Reba put his hand down."You know what? Maybe I will have a talk with the doctor."

Brock reached out, lacing her fingers with his own. He brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed it. "Everything is gonna be okay, Sunshine. I promise."

He sat up in bed and reach out for her face. He brought it close to his own. He gently brushed her lips with his before pulling her into a full kiss. He searched her mouth hungrily. She literally felt a feeling of electricity surging through them. Reba was confused by the kiss and pulled away. She hadn't felt that feeling of electricity with anyone else but Mike. What in the world was going on here?

She looked down at her left hand, the one that Brock wasn't holding. Brock hadn't looked at that hand. She was wearing her promise ring so she was obviously with Mike. She needed answers fast.

"I'm gonna talk to the doctor and get the weather forecast from Stormy Clearweather. I'll be right back."

She fled the room as if her shoes were on fire. Poor Brock was utterly confused. She needed the doctor and Barbra Jean to clear things up for him right now! Reba found Barbra Jean talking with the doctor in the hallway near Brock's room. Reba was amazed that she hadn't seen them before as she was arriving there.

"Hey, Barbra Jean. What's goin' on here?"

"Have you seen Brock?"

"Yeah. I just came from there."

"Enough said. Brock got a concussion in the wreck. The doctor is explaining about his condition."

"Mrs. Hart, your husband suffered some minor damage in the wreck. He has a concussion and some swelling in his brain."

Reba put her hand up. "Doctor, he is not my husband. Barbra Jean is his wife."

Barbra Jean shook her head. "I've filed for divorce, Reba. Brock signed the papers awhile ago. I don't wanna be married to him anymore. I'm sorry."

Reba took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She knew that she had to be careful with Barbra Jean, but she was so angry that she felt like she'd explode at any minute. "Barbra Jean, you can't abandon him. He needs ya."

"He doesn't even live in my house anymore. He is not my problem. Brock is my friend. He is not my husband. My job is taking care of Henry through this mess. He lives with you. Enough said."

Reba tried to maintain her composure. She turned to the doctor. "Brock does live in my house. I'll take care of him. What can you tell me about his memory? He seems to be very mixed up. He thinks that he's actually married to me. We're not married."

"Like I said, there is some swelling in his brain. You are going to have to be very careful with him. It would be damaging to confront him with all of this information right now. Mr. Hart needs some time to heal so I suggest that your family go along with this scenario until Mr. Hart's condition has improved. That means that for right now you are his wife because as far as he's concerned you are Mrs. Brock Hart. He believes that Barbra Jean is his ex-wife and that's actually true so there's no need to tell him otherwise. I've already spoken to your family. They are in the waiting room. Everyone has been briefed on the situation."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Reba's head was spinning. She was going to have to pretend to be Mrs. Brock Hart for awhile. She had to talk to the kids. She went to the waiting room.

"Hey, Ma. Did ya hear about Daddy?"

"Yes, he gonna be just fine, Cheyenne. We just have to let him get some rest for awhile. The swelling will go down. We'll just make him as comfortable as we can at home."

"We heard about the situation. Daddy thinks that he's married to you. Barbra Jean told us about the divorce."

"I'm really sorry, guys. I'd hoped that this wouldn't be happening. Your dad isn't even himself enough to talk to you guys about it. Everything will be fine. Barbra Jean will be right next door as usual. She and I are still friends so not much will be changing for you. I'm just sorry that you have to watch your father go through another divorce."

"News flash, Mom. He isn't going through anything. He thinks that it's already happened long ago. You're the one that I'm worried about. Are you okay?" Kyra responded.

"Me? I'm fine. There's nothin' to worry about. I've got everythin' under control. I'm gonna check on your father. Why don't you guys go get some dinner and then come back later? I'll stay with him until you get back."

Reba tried to reassure the kids as best as she could. She wasn't even sure that what she was saying was true. She had the responsibility for everything right now. How was she supposed to handle everything alone? What was she going to tell Mike?

She put a smile on her face and calmly walked back to Brock's room. Cheyenne stopped her at the door. She reached into her purse and held out Reba's old wedding ring in her hands. Reba looked at her old bridal set. It was her diamond engagement ring swirled with her wedding band in 14 karat yellow gold.

"Hey, Ma! You'd better put this on. Barbra Jean called me to grab it on my way to the hospital. I didn't know what was going on at the time. You were sleepin' and I didn't wanna wake ya. I didn't know what the situation was until I got here and that's when I had the doctor call ya. Dad gonna know that something is up if you don't wear your wedding ring."

"Cheyenne, I can't wear this. It's wrong. We've been divorced for over six years. I can't wear a symbol of a marriage that's dead and buried. Didn't ya find it suspicious that Barbra Jean would ask you to find my wedding ring to bring it to her at the hospital?"

"It's Barbra Jean. Are you kiddin' me? She's like obsessed with you or somethin'. She makes crazy requests all the time. I didn't think that you'd care about a symbol of somethin' that 'dead and buried'. Dad told me this morning that you were sick. He said that you were supposed to get peace and quiet in bed all day. I didn't wanna wake you unless it was serious."

Reba looked down at her promise ring. It was a symbol of love and commitment. She and Mike were on their way down the road of a lifetime together. A stab of guilt lay buried in her breast. She took it off and put it in her purse. She put on the bridal ring set. It felt both foreign and familiar on her ring finger. It wasn't supposed to feel so comfortable. Reba wanted it off her hand as soon as possible. A sensation of intense sickness and desolation swept over her. Cheyenne went back to find Van to leave with the rest of the family for dinner. Reba reached into her cell phone to dial the familiar number. She prayed that her sister would answer the call.

"Paige, can you get here as soon as you can? I'm at Memorial Hospital in Houston. Something bad has happened. Just hop on a plane and get here. I need you really badly right now." Reba was fighting back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. Tears blinded her eyes and choked her voice. She closed her cell phone, swallowing hard and biting back the tears so she could enter the room.

She entered the room quietly and sat down in a chair. Brock's eyes were closed again. Reba was grateful for the reprieve. Reba closed her eyes to rest.

Brock's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey honey, you're back. How are the kids?"

He had the nerve to ask about the kids. He was putting them through more drama with another divorce. The kids had to be scared out of their minds. First, Brock gets into a life threatening accident and then Barbra Jean announces that she's getting a divorce. Reba was furious with Brock for creating this situation.

"The kids went to dinner. I did my best to reassure them that you'd be okay. They'll be back after awhile." Reba felt the tears fill her eyes again. Her stomach was churning. She felt the tears falling down her cheeks and the bile rush back up her throat.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I'll tell ya what's wrong. Once again, you've created a situation that I have to clean up. You mess things up and you leave me to pick up the pieces. I thought that you'd changed. Here I am stuck with the same old Brock Hart. I'm so mad at ya right now and I can't even talk to ya about it. Excuse me." Reba explained tearfully before emptying the contents of her stomach into a nearby trash can.

Reba woke up and found a trash can by the bed. She threw up in it just like in her dream. Brock woke up to the sounds that Reba made nearby. He rushed over to her side of the bed to hold her hair back while she finished vomiting.

"Feeling better, honey?"

Reba whirled around to face him. "No! I'm barfing up a lung here." She started crying and hitting him. She pounded her fists into his chest. "You left me for nothin'. It was all for nothin'. You hurt the kids. You destroy our family. I lost everythin' because you are the most selfish man that I've ever met!"

"Reba, slow down. Come on, Sweetheart. You're not makin' sense here. What happened to upset ya so bad?"

Brock put his arms around Reba and sat them down on the edge of the bed. She tried to explain her dream to him.

"Reba, it was just a dream. Everything is fine. You're awake now. I'm right here. I'm not hurt in any way. I'm working on my marriage with Barbra Jean. You know that I would never do anythin' to hurt the kids or you. It sounds like I didn't even do anythin' that bad in the dream."

"Barbra Jean was getting a divorce from ya. It felt like it did before when we filed for divorce. I had to deal with helping the kids through that same type of pain twice. Can't ya for once in your life be a decent loving husband?"

Brock sat there, stunned by Reba's remarks. He knew that she would be mad about him divorcing Barbra Jean, but he never anticipated this type of reaction. It was clear that they could not tell Reba the truth right now. She would not be able to handle it. Would she even forgive him? It sounded to him like she still hadn't gotten over their divorce. This type of news seemed to open those old wounds for her. The last thing that he wanted to do was hurt her all over again. This news would have to wait awhile longer until Reba would be able to handle it. Brock wondered what his next course of action should be...

What will Reba and Paige do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will Brock say to help Reba? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen when Mike finds out about Reba's tattoo? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Shout out to __Chatte578__. She sent me a great idea for the story. She thought that __it would be cool if Brock talked to Kyra about his feelings for Reba and Reba overhears the conversation. I will try to work this idea into the story. Thanks!_

_Shout out to leesy96: Thanks for the feedback!_

_Shout out to Fake Cubic Zirconium: I really appreciate the encouragement. Talking to you through PM's really helps me work on the story. If you are confused about something, it helps me to make things better as I'm writing. Your thoughts help to make the story better._

_I was inspired to write this week by watching Hart to Hart videos on YouTube. I loved the flashbacks. I love the couple, Jonathan and Jennifer Hart almost as much as Brock and Reba Hart. I really like watching Stefanie Powers' movie also. She's a great actress. I plan to add my interest in these other Harts into my story. Why couldn't Reba have a crush on Robert Wagner when she was younger? He was really something back in the 70's and 80's. _

_Hart to Hart was on TV for five seasons and eight TV movies. Can someone help get the Reba cast some TV reunion movies, please? Is there someone we can write to about that?_

_Someone actually took my love for Reba and Hart to Hart and put it in a video on YouTube. One of the videos is called So Good Together._

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

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	37. The truth can be painful

_Dear Readers-_

_I hope that everyone had a nice day with their families on Father's Day. I didn't realize that I left poor Brock in a bad situation in the last chapter while I was writing. I happened to write that part on Father's Day. That was a strange coincidence. I wrote that part to finish the chapter and post while it was still Sunday. I do plan to be kinder to Brock during this chapter. I will make sure that Reba gets a chapter devoted to her with a nice Mother's Day and Brock gets a chapter devoted to him with a nice Father's Day. I'm not sure when I'll be doing this. I think that it will be during the story, Falling in Love Again, which is story four in the series since this current story is in October 2008 and only runs until December 31, 2008._

_I'm going to add hints here to help you follow the action in the story. Reba has visions of the future and flashbacks of the past. Her dreams are trying to tell her something also. They are visions of a possible future. Spoilers: Reba has had two very specific dreams in this story that are important. Yes, they are visions of a possible future. The spoiler is that they both take place on the same day. The first dream was in June and was very romantic. The second dream was in October and was very difficult for Reba. So the question is what went wrong? That's for you to read to find out. The day in the dreams is November 30, 2008. _

_There is a new poll for this story this week. Please vote with your answers for __what Brock should try next to get Reba's attention__. I really want your feedback for this one and you can vote for more than one answer. I want to know what you readers think. Please let me know what you think he should do next. Thanks to everyone who voted on the previous poll. Please feel free to take the poll on either site. It lets me know that you are still interested in this story._

_Thanks to everyone who answered the poll question, __Should Brock befriend Mike again?__ There was a problem with taking the chapter 35 poll on FF. Luckily, there is no problem with the poll this week. Please feel free to take the poll on ExtremeReba's fanfiction forum anytime there is a problem with the poll on FF. The poll is connected to this week's chapter there. I also added pictures to go with the chapter on Extreme Reba's fanfiction forum. I will be doing this often with the weekly chapter updates. This Sunday, I posted pictures of Reba's tattoo, Paige's tattoo, and Reba's wedding ring set from chapter 36._

_So far, poll results have shown me quite a bit of what everyone wants to read in this story. That helps a lot. Everyone wants Brock to make a move on Reba in Oklahoma because she needs to remember how they fell in love. I think so, too. Houston isn't exactly full of good memories for them. She won't quite get into those memories right away in Oklahoma. She will get some flashbacks and relive some Breba memories, but a large majority of memories will come up for her during the story, Reba Nell Got Married. In the beginning of that story, Reba doesn't have a boyfriend and Brock doesn't have a girlfriend so it'll be interesting to read what happens. _

_Reba wants to change her future while Brock wants to get her to keep things as they are. Remember she doesn't like him much in 1983. It will be good to read how Brock will fix that. Most readers think that Brock is LovinCowboy84. Some readers think that he's a stranger. Most readers have voted maybe on the question of if Brock should befriend Mike again because it will keep him closer to what's happening in Mike and Reba's relationship. Some readers voted maybe because it's what Reba wants and some other readers voted no because Brock shouldn't befriend the man who's taking Reba away from him. Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the polls so far._

_Please participate in the polls. The answers to the polls are giving me a lot of feedback on my story. I get to find out how I am doing with my writing when you take the time to vote on the poll questions. Thank you! I also appreciate your comments and reviews. Keep sending them in! It also helps when you ask questions in your reviews. I work on clarifying the details better when you point out what is not clear in the story. _

_For example, one reviewer has asked if Brock will have amnesia in the future. It appears, according to Reba's dreams that Brock will get into a car accident on November 30, 2008. Spoiler: Brock will have a concussion and some swelling in his brain, but no amnesia. That's the plot twist. Brock will use the accident to his advantage to get close to Reba again by pretending to have amnesia. Don't worry about the family. They are all involved in trying to bring Brock and Reba back together again so Brock will tell them the truth so they won't worry about him._

_Poor Reba will definitely have amnesia in the beginning of the third story, Remembering Love Again. She nearly dies and she will forget the last twenty-five years of her life. I hinted to that in the last chapter, but I think that some readers thought that I was talking about Brock. Sorry. _

_I think that many readers wonder how I got the idea for my story. It's part of my grandparents' story of how they fell in love. My grandparents had two best friends. The four of them grew up together and knew each other their whole lives. My grandmother was dating my grandfather's best friend and my grandfather was dating my grandmother's best friend. They always went on double dates. My grandmother always thought that my grandfather was obnoxious and annoying. His idea of flirting was by bugging her. _

_Finally in the middle of high school, my grandmother realized that she was falling for my grandfather and vice versa; so they broke up with their dates and started dating each other. The happy part is that their best friends ended up dating each other afterwards. Both couples ended up married for the rest of their lives. My grandfather ended up getting drafted into the Marines during World War II after high school. My grandmother ran off to Arizona to where my grandfather was in basic training. They got married there. They sent their families a telegram letting them know about the wedding. After a week, my grandmother returned back home to Indiana. _

_My grandfather got shipped out overseas and my grandparents didn't see each other for three years. A year after they reunited, my mother was born. It's funny because my grandfather was blonde, but my grandmother was a sassy brunette. They do remind me of Brock and Reba, except my grandparents only separated once for about a week when she stayed with me and my mom. Other than that, they were best friends and in love until parted by death. I love reading any stories that remind me of my grandparents so it's fun to write this one. I also love reading the ones where Brock goes into the military and Reba has to deal with waiting for him to come home._

_It's still October 2008 in the story, and there will be plenty of action in the story right now. Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. Mike is leaving for a week in Oklahoma. Brock is trying to figure out how to fix things with Reba. Old feelings of pain and hurt over the divorce are resurfacing for Reba. Brock is going to spend time with Reba in order to get to know the real Reba. They're also headed to another visit to Dr. Baker. I think everyone remember how the last one went in the season four episode, Couples Therapy._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- Reba woke up and found a trash can by the bed. She threw up in it just like in her dream. Brock woke up to the sounds that Reba made nearby. He rushed over to her side of the bed to hold her hair back while she finished vomiting.

"Feeling better, honey?"

Reba whirled around to face him. "No! I'm barfing up a lung here." She started crying and hitting him. She pounded her fists into his chest. "You left me for nothin'. It was all for nothin'. You hurt the kids. You destroyed our family. I lost everythin' because you are the most selfish man that I've ever met!"

"Reba, slow down. Come on, Sweetheart. You're not makin' sense here. What happened to upset ya so bad?"

Brock put his arms around Reba and sat them down on the edge of the bed. She tried to explain her dream to him.

"Reba, it was just a dream. Everything is fine. You're awake now. I'm right here. I'm not hurt in any way. I'm working on my marriage with Barbra Jean. You know that I would never do anythin' to hurt the kids or you. It sounds like I didn't even do anythin' that bad in the dream."

"Barbra Jean was getting a divorce from ya. It felt like it did before when we filed for divorce. I had to deal with helping the kids through that same type of pain twice. Can't ya for once in your life be a decent loving husband?"

Brock sat there, stunned by Reba's remarks. He knew that she would be mad about him divorcing Barbra Jean, but he never anticipated this type of reaction. It was clear that they could not tell Reba the truth right now. She would not be able to handle it. Would she even forgive him? It sounded to him like she still hadn't gotten over their divorce. This type of news seemed to open those old wounds for her. The last thing that he wanted to do was hurt her all over again. This news would have to wait awhile longer until Reba would be able to handle it. Brock wondered what his next course of action should be...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 36 in the present year of the story- October 2008 with Reba taking Paige out for a night on the town. They went clubbing and got tattoos. Reba's tattoo symbolized her first wedding in Vegas and baby John. Paige's tattoo symbolized her marriage to Michael Davis, her first real love. She got the tattoo, despite the fact that she wants out of the marriage. Brock picked Reba and Paige up as their designated driver. Paige spent the night in Kyra's new attic bedroom.**

**Reba got Brock to dance with her. Reba hummed a tune that she remembered from her freebie night in Vegas. This surprised Brock who remembered the tune also. That's when Brock's memories of that night blur as Reba began to make a move on Brock. It was the same thing that she did with him on that night also before passing out. This gave Brock hope that he still had a chance with Reba. He spent the night sleeping beside her. **

**When Reba first woke up in the morning, she panicked about finding herself barely dressed and in bed with Brock, who's only wearing his boxers. Brock's plan to hold Reba accountable for making a pass at him the night before had to be postponed while Brock helped her through her panic attack. He helped her into a nightgown and helped her get back to sleep because it was still so early in the morning. Brock took a shower and got back into bed with Reba.**

**Reba entered into a dream where Brock was in a car accident. Brock was in the hospital with minor injuries that include a concussion with some brain swelling that would decrease with time. Brock appeared to think that he is divorced from Barbra Jean and remarried to Reba. He kissed her and Reba got a feeling of electricity that confused her. Reba went to talk to the doctor and Barbra Jean. Barbra Jean revealed that she is divorcing Brock and doesn't want to be involved in his recovery. The doctor explained that Reba will temporarily have to play along with Brock until his condition improves. The family was aware of the situation and sitting in the waiting room. **

**Cheyenne suggested that Reba take off her promise ring from Mike and put on her wedding ring set from Brock in order to keep up the pretense. She called her sister to come to Houston. Reba returned to Brock's hospital room full of a mix of sadness and anger. She woke up from the dream, sick from the night before. She attacked Brock because she is still hurting from the dream. Brock calmed her down. She explained her dream to him and he realized that Reba was not ready to accept that Brock is really divorcing Barbra Jean. Brock was left to wonder what his next move should be.**

**What will Reba and Paige do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will Brock say to help Reba? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen when Mike finds out about Reba's tattoo? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's fight with Mike over Paige. They will make up before he leaves. She is confused about her dream about Brock. Her dream brought up many buried feelings of hurt. Brock is going to take Reba for another visit to Dr. Baker's office. Brock learns quite a lot about Reba from hanging out with Paige and Reba for a few days._

_Coming up: Brock and Barbra Jean are joining Reba and the kids for the trip to McAlester. They arrive on a Thursday. Brock, Barbra Jean, and Reba have dinner with Reba's grandma and sister. There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba was in the kitchen, making breakfast. Mike showed up at the back door.

"Can I come in?" Mike asked tentatively.

"Sure. Why not? Everyone else just waltzes in." Reba responds with her usual sarcasm.

"How was your night last night? I spent last night with the kids. Thanks for the suggestion. I really missed Sam."

"I'm glad that worked out for you. I had a fun night with Paige as well."

"Oh, what did you girls do on your night out?"

Just then, Paige wakes into the kitchen. "Aren't ya gonna show him your tattoo?"

"You got a tattoo?" Mike asked in a negative tone.

"Yep, we both did. It was her idea." Paige explained.

"Your idea?" he said pointedly towards Reba.

"Yeah, I told ya that I'm gonna go out and do what I want, when I want. I got a tattoo on my lower back as proof of my love and commitment. You didn't think that I was actually gonna go out and get your name tattooed on my backside, did ya?"

"If I was a biker and you were my old lady."

Reba's mouth dropped. "Now, I know where you get it from." She sent a venomous look to Brock.

Brock sent her a questioning look back. "What did I do?"

Reba turned towards him. "That's the same thing that you said to Barbra Jean. It figures."

Mike took her hand. "I was just surprised for a minute, Sal. Can I see it?"

Reba turned back to Mike, still holding onto her anger. "I don't know. I was waiting to show you in bed, but it looks like that's gonna be awhile."

"I explained about that. We're building a foundation for the rest of our lives. I want to marry you."

"We're also tryin' to have a baby. Couples who are usually tryin' to get pregnant generally have sex as often as possible. I'm full of enough fertility drugs to make me crazy. The Clomid is stimulating my appetite."

"That was your idea. You wanted us to store everything just in case we can't get pregnant on our own. It's not gonna be too much longer until you get off the Clomid after the doctor harvests your eggs anyway."

"I miss being close to you that way. The longest that we've ever gone without before while we're together has been three weeks. It's been four weeks now. Do you realize that we've gone from being together six times a day before to absolutely nothing now? We could try once just for fun."

"No way! Your track record speaks for itself. You have a habit of getting' pregnant and walkin' out."

"I do not!" Reba said angrily, with her hands on her hips.

"Honey, you don't even realize how you've hurt me. We made love the night before you left the first time. You had plenty of time to tell me that you were pregnant, but you didn't and instead you were plannin' on leavin' me."

"I've already explained this. You were gettin' married to Kim. You never once showed me that you were gonna have any type of future with me. I was tryin' to do the right thing. I didn't know what else to do."

"A man expects a little more faith from his wife. I considered you my wife all the way up until you left me. You came back and then broke up with me again. You sent me back to Kim after I left her to be with you. You came back to be with me, but you wouldn't let me leave her. Why? We've wasted years because of that."

"Because Kim used to be my friend. I couldn't steal her husband. I just loved you so much that I forgot my morals for awhile. I missed you and I missed us. We'd just lost John."

"I've always thought that you came back to use me."

"Use you? I didn't use you."

"Come on, Sal. Think about it from my point of view. You didn't want much of a relationship. You forced me stay with Kim, which I didn't wanna do. All we did was have sex a lot. You dated other guys. When you were finished with me, you were gone."

"I tried to end my life, you mo-ron. I was madly in love with you. We were havin' an affair. Nobody was supposed to know that we were together. I know that it sounds crazy, but I was hoping that we'd have another baby. I figured that it would be okay for you to leave Kim if I got pregnant."

"And you never thought to discuss this with me?" Mike was raising his voice by this time. By this time, Mike and Reba had taken the discussion to the living room.

Reba put her hands up. Paige came running out of the kitchen. "Stop, Reba! Nana says that we aren't allowed to do that."

Reba used her magic to freeze Mike in place. "Nana said that we can't use our magic in anger against our husbands. She didn't say that we couldn't freeze them just to get a grip on the situation."

"Cool! I'll have to remember that. What are you gonna do next?"

"Be quiet! I'm thinkin'. I hate fightin' with him. He always wins. I smell his cologne and my senses go wild. He's gonna win because I want him so badly right now. That's not fair to me. I need to learn how to fight with him. I know that it's unfair, but I'm gonna have to use my magic this time. I need to turn him into someone that I can fight with." An idea popped into Reba's head. Her face lit up with a knowing smile.

"Who are you gonna turn him into?" Paige's face twisted into a grimace. "What is that smell?"

A pungent smell of cocoa butter and feet suddenly surrounded him as Reba lifted her hands and changed Mike's appearance into Brock.

"Now I can fight with him without wantin' to jump his bones. I am not in the least attracted in any way to him right now."

"I'll say. What a bad smell!"

"Hey, ladies. I've been standin' right in the next room. I can still hear ya." Brock said as he entered the living room.

"Shut up!" Paige and Reba shouted in unison.

Reba's hands unfroze Mike. "What just happened? What did you do?"

"Relax. I just changed you into someone that I can easily fight with."

"I can't believe that you did that. You are a real piece of work, lady. I really resent this."

"It's only temporary. I just wanted to fight with you fairly."

"Fairly? This is not fighting fairly. Of course, what should I expect from... What is it that Kim used to call you, a vicious little witch?"

Reba couldn't believe that Mike said that to her. Of course, the voice was Brock's. It was coming from the image of Brock that she shimmered over Mike.

"I can't believe that you would call me that."

"And I can't believe that you would turn me into your ex-husband in the middle of a fight. But if the broom fits, ride it!"

Reba was stunned. She didn't know what to do or say.

"Come on now, you wanted a fight. You've got nothin' to say?"

Reba stood there while Mike continued. "You went too far this time, Sal."

"Look, I haven't had sex in a really long time. You used to win arguments because I'd kiss ya and then we'd have sex. That isn't gonna work anymore. We need to learn to communicate. We have to learn to argue. All couples argue. I hope that you're not jealous or anythin. I just wanted a healthy argument without any sexual attraction goin' on. You should be happy."

"I'm showin' ya that I'm not in the least bit attracted to Brock. At least, it wasn't Max."

"Because you actually want to have sex with Max?"

"Yes... I mean no... I mean... You're confusing me. I mean that Max is very attractive and one of the richest guy in Oklahoma. But I turned ya into this, complete with the smell."

"Hey, we used to be married. We have three children together. You were obviously sexual attracted to me at some point, Reba." the real Brock interjected.

"Yeah, you're right." Mike said to him before turning back to Reba.

"Shut up, Brock! Nobody asked ya. Your own wife is havin' a tough time bein' attracted to ya and she used to be your mistress so you don't have any room to talk here."

"Do ya really love me, Sal? Is our relationship purely physical? We can't just base it on sex. You talk about knowing the real you. Do you love the real me, despite the package? Do ya love me even when I look like this?"

Reba rolled her eyes. "Are you kiddin' me? You're the one. Of course, I love ya. We've spent the last month without anything further than a kiss. I know that you're Mike, despite the fact that I made ya look like this. I'm always gonna love ya."

"Prove it! Kiss me."

"You are completely insane! That would not be kissing you."

"It is me. You're the one who constantly tries to say that it's the person on the inside who matters."

"Fine. You asked for it." Reba waves her hands again to shimmer into Kim.

"That's not fair, Sal."

"All's fair in love and war, Jack. Are you still wantin' to kiss me or not?"

Mike didn't verbalize an answer. His lips just connected with hers. At that moment, Barbra Jean came walking through the front door.

"Oh my gosh, what are you doin' kissin' my husband? Reba was right. You are a man stealin' tramp."

Reba pulled away from Mike. She lifted her head back and laughed heartily. Barbra Jean came up to her and slapped her across the face. Mike grabbed Reba around the waist as she started to dart out at Barbra Jean for slapping her.

"Barbra Jean, you are gonna be real sorry that you did that." the real Brock remarked.

Barbra Jean looked from Brock to Mike as Brock.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I thought that you were Brock." Barbra Jean apologized.

"I'm not Alex, Barbra Jean." Mike as Brock responded.

"It hurts to see your husband kissin' another woman, doesn't it? Payback is awful, right? Reba walked in on ya kissin' her husband. She saw ya with her very own eyes. You continued to flaunt your relationship and your pregnancy right in front of her while Brock was still her husband. Even now, you're lettin' go of your marriage like it doesn't mean anythin' at all to you. But you are still jealous as can be. It hurts, doesn't it?" Reba as Kim responded.

"All I see right now is some man-stealin' homewrecker."

"To be a homewrecker, you'd need a happy home to wreck. The last I heard, Brock is livin' here with Reba. He doesn't live with ya anymore."

Paige clapped. "Keep going! You tell her, girl!"

"I'm not sayin' that we did sleep together and I'm not saying that we didn't sleep together, but I am sayin' that I can have him anytime that I want. Why don't ya just run along back to your bible study class, you hypocrite? Don't worry. There are plenty of other men in Houston for you to go runnin' around with. That's all you want is the thrill of the chase, you little tooth tart."

Barbra Jean's eyes filled with tears. "I welcomed ya into my home."

"Take that holier than thou attitude and stick it where the sun don't shine." Reba as Kim captured Mike as Brock into another kiss.

Mike pulled away. "Game over. She's crying and you're bein' mean. Change me back."

Reba scoffed. She shimmered Mike back into being Mike and then shimmered herself back into being Reba.

"You finally got your revenge on a woman who rather cut her right arm off than hurt ya. Are ya proud of yourself? Sal, this is one of those moments where I think that you aren't completely over Brock yet. Call me when you are." Mike turned to walk out the front door.

"What is wrong with you? Go ahead and walk out. You're always runnin' away instead of fightin' for us." Reba responded.

"Darlin', that's you. I want the commitment and you don't." Mike said to defend his actions.

"No way, Sugar. I learned how to walk out from watchin' you. You're the one who walked out on me first!" Reba yelled.

"I'm gonna leave now before I say somethin' that I'm gonna regret. I love you, babe." Mike said as he walked out the door.

Reba turned to Barbra Jean. "Get the heck outta my house! You are oblivious to the damage that you do. I never welcomed you into my house. You just stormed on in like Godzilla. Go!"

Barbra Jean turned to leave with tears cascading down her face.

_Author's note: At this point, readers are probably unhappy with how Reba is treating Barbra Jean. Honestly, these are things that she's always wanted to say to her from the beginning. Barbra Jean stole Brock from Reba and now she doesn't want him anymore. I feel that Reba is justified in getting these things off her chest right now. Don't worry. Reba and Barbra Jean will patch things up soon. At least, Reba isn't holding back on her feelings anymore. She's been holding that inside of her for the last six years._

The rest of the week flew by for Reba and Brock. Brock got to know Paige and Michael. He felt sorry for Michael because his situation with Paige. He understood what it was like to watch your wife walk away to be with someone else. He watched Michael try to maintain a friendship with Paige, despite his feelings. He learned things about Reba that he didn't know if he'd ever discovered if she hadn't been so forthcoming around Paige. The wheels in Brock's mind began to turn. He had to come up with a plan to steer Reba off course.

Brock worked hard as the middle man to help Reba and Barbra Jean patch up their friendship. He helped Barbra Jean to realize that Reba needed to get those things off her chest, woman to woman. Reba was angry that Barbra Jean stole her husband and now she doesn't want him anymore. Reba talked on the phone to Mike throughout the week. Their relationship was back on track. Reba was calmer now. She even invited Brock, Henry, and Barbra Jean to Oklahoma with the family. She wanted to prove to Mike that she was over Brock.

She also wanted to help Barbra Jean get her marriage back on track. Just before they left for Oklahoma, Reba found herself in front of Dr. Baker's door. This time, she was a lot more apprehensive about this meeting. She didn't like how the last one went. Reba took a deep breath before entering Dr. Baker's office. Brock was already seated. They had been waiting for her.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay, honey. Sit down."

"So Brock tells me that there's been a lot happening in your lives lately."

"Yes. Brock and Barbra Jean are having problems again. I'm in a new relationship so things are good for me. I'm just sorry that things are bad for Brock. He doesn't deserve it."

"Well I hear that there may be some unresolved feelings between the two of you. So I'm going to ask you the same question that I did before. Do you two still love each other?"

"Yes, I'm just sorry that it took me so long to realize it." Brock answered.

"I'm not sure what to say. I know that I have some feelings that I've had to work through. I was married to Brock for eighteen years. We've been friends for the last six years. He's a wonderful father to our children. I've seen him change into a better person. I love and admire him for all of these reasons, but he's made his bed and now he's gotta lie in it. So despite the mixed signals that he's gotten from me lately, I have to say that I gotta move on. I'm always gonna love Brock and hold a special place in my heart for him, but he can't be the man that I want and need him to be unless he becomes a better husband to Barbra Jean."

"What if Barbra Jean doesn't want to be in the marriage anymore?"

"Then he's gotta fight for it. He can't just give up without a fight. That's what he did to us."

"But what about our weekend together in June?"

"Brock, please don't make me sorry that it happened. I was feeling vulnerable. You reached out to me and I let things get out of hand."

"It seems to me that the door between you has opened again. Tell me if Barbra Jean and Mike weren't in the picture, would you want to be with him?"

"Maybe. It's possible, but they are in the picture. I love Mike very much. He's been waitin' twenty-five years to be with me. Do you really want to be with a woman who's in love with another man?"

"If that woman is you. You have to realize that I was not born yesterday. I knew that things went fast for us when we got married. You had second thoughts on our wedding day. I knew goin' into our relationship that you still loved Mike. He was your first love and I respect that. But you two aren't even the same people anymore. You and I have grown into this life together and into this family. The thing is, Reba that you are my first love and I'm hopin' that it's not too late to get us back."

Tears rolled down Reba's cheeks as she heard Brock's words. She placed her hand on his cheek. "What I really need is for you to be my friend. Can you do that?"

"Yes, but you have to know that I'll be right here waiting for you if things don't work out with Mike. I love you too. I can wait for you as long as it takes."

"You can't do that. You need to work things out with Barbra Jean. Just be my friend, okay?"

Brock nodded. Reba was still as stubborn as ever. He poured his heart out to her and she still wouldn't give in. Mike had stumbled onto one interesting point. Reba wasn't completely over Brock yet. He knew that with persistence over time he'd be able to win her back. He just had to figure out a plan. What could he do to get Reba to want him again? Brock wondered what he could do in Oklahoma to keep Reba from sleeping with Mike. He knew that he still had a chance as long as they hadn't made that connection again. Then there was Maggie. How was he ever going to win Reba back soon enough to get pregnant and re-married by December? He was fighting for his family's future and he had to think fast...

What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will happen in Oklahoma? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Shout out to __Chatte578__. Thanks for your feedback! It makes me a better writer. Your questions help me to make the story better._

_Shout out to leesy96: Thanks for the feedback! I loved the smilie that you posted with your feedback._

_Shout out to rnmrox: Thanks for the feedback! I love wowing readers._

_Shout out to singitanyway13: I love your new story, The Acts of Forgiveness and Love. My favorite bedtime story as a kid was the story of how my grandparents fell in love. That story is the basis for my current story, Believe in Love Again._

_I was inspired to write this week by watching the Mr. Mom movie trailer on YouTube. It gave me a great idea for the story. If Brock is injured and stuck at home, then he should have to cook, clean, and take care of the kids while Reba goes to school. His accident happens near the end of the fall semester near finals so Reba will need the extra help. He can't work or drive with a head injury anyway. It serves him right for trying to manipulate Reba by pretending to have amnesia and forcing Reba into pretending to be married to him. I plan to give Brock a partner in his dental practice so they'll still have an income while he's at home._

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.**

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**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	38. Welcome to Oklahoma

_Dear Readers-_

_I am thrilled with the overall support for my newest story, Drop Dead Hero. I got seven reviews and voting for the poll on ExtremeReba was unanimous to continue this story. I got new author alerts and new readers have added me to their list of favorite authors. Thank you so much! The only thing that I have to decided now is how to proceed with my story updates. I will have a new poll on my profile page on FF and on my ExtremeReba post. I need your feedback in making this decision. Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. _

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- She also wanted to help Barbra Jean get her marriage back on track. Just before they left for Oklahoma, Reba found herself in front of Dr. Baker's door. This time, she was a lot more apprehensive about this meeting. She didn't like how the last one went. Reba took a deep breath before entering Dr. Baker's office. Brock was already seated. They had been waiting for her.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay, honey. Sit down."

"So Brock tells me that there's been a lot happening in your lives lately."

"Yes. Brock and Barbra Jean are having problems again. I'm in a new relationship so things are good for me. I'm just sorry that things are bad for Brock. He doesn't deserve it."

"Well I hear that there may be some unresolved feelings between the two of you. So I'm going to ask you the same question that I did before. Do you two still love each other?"

"Yes, I'm just sorry that it took me so long to realize it." Brock answered.

"I'm not sure what to say. I know that I have some feelings that I've had to work through. I was married to Brock for eighteen years. We've been friends for the last six years. He's a wonderful father to our children. I've seen him change into a better person. I love and admire him for all of these reasons, but he's made his bed and now he's gotta lie in it. So despite the mixed signals that he's gotten from me lately, I have to say that I gotta move on. I'm always gonna love Brock and hold a special place in my heart for him, but he can't be the man that I want and need him to be unless he becomes a better husband to Barbra Jean."

"What if Barbra Jean doesn't want to be in the marriage anymore?"

"Then he's gotta fight for it. He can't just give up without a fight. That's what he did to us."

"But what about our weekend together in June?"

"Brock, please don't make me sorry that it happened. I was feeling vulnerable. You reached out to me and I let things get out of hand."

"It seems to me that the door between you has opened again. Tell me if Barbra Jean and Mike weren't in the picture, would you want to be with him?"

"Maybe. It's possible, but they are in the picture. I love Mike very much. He's been waitin' twenty-five years to be with me. Do you really want to be with a woman who's in love with another man?"

"If that woman is you. You have to realize that I was not born yesterday. I knew that things went fast for us when we got married. You had second thoughts on our wedding day. I knew goin' into our relationship that you still loved Mike. He was your first love and I respect that. But you two aren't even the same people anymore. You and I have grown into this life together and into this family. The thing is, Reba that you are my first love and I'm hopin' that it's not too late to get us back."

Tears rolled down Reba's cheeks as she heard Brock's words. She placed her hand on his cheek. "What I really need is for you to be my friend. Can you do that?"

"Yes, but you have to know that I'll be right here waiting for you if things don't work out with Mike. I love you too. I can wait for you as long as it takes."

"You can't do that. You need to work things out with Barbra Jean. Just be my friend, okay?"

Brock nodded. Reba was still as stubborn as ever. He poured his heart out to her and she still wouldn't give in. Mike had stumbled onto one interesting point. Reba wasn't completely over Brock yet. He knew that with persistence over time he'd be able to win her back. He just had to figure out a plan. What could he do to get Reba to want him again? Brock wondered what he could do in Oklahoma to keep Reba from sleeping with Mike. He knew that he still had a chance as long as they hadn't made that connection again. Then there was Maggie. How was he ever going to win Reba back soon enough to get pregnant and re-married by December? He was fighting for his family's future and he had to think fast...

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

**We left the story in chapter 37 in the present year of the story- October 2008 with Reba arguing with Mike the next morning before he leaves for Oklahoma. Reba changes him into Brock in the middle of a fight and she responds to a challenge by changing into Kim. She kisses Mike while he looks like Brock. Barbra Jean walks in and argues with Reba as Kim. She slaps Reba. Brock and Mike try to intervene. Reba finally tells Barbra Jean exactly what's been on her mind for the last six years since BJ stole Brock from her. Mike is mad that Reba made Barbra Jean cry. Brock spent the week with Reba, Paige, and Michael Davis. Brock and Reba had a very emotional visit with Dr. Baker.**

**What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will happen in Oklahoma? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?  
**

**What happens now? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!**

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's visit to McAlester. Brock and Barbra Jean are joining Reba and the kids for the trip to McAlester. They arrive on a Thursday. Brock, Barbra Jean, and Reba have dinner with Reba's grandma and sister. _

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

The Hart family was traveling to McAlester in two separate vehicles. Van was driving Brock's SUV while Brock was driving Cheyenne's car. Van still hadn't parted with his beloved car, Rhonda yet. Brock's SUV was loaded up with Kyra, Jake, Henry, Van, Elizabeth, Cheyenne, and their new baby. There wasn't room for anyone else. That left Brock, Barbra Jean, and Reba to ride together in the car. Barbra Jean insisted on riding in the backseat. She wanted to sleep during most of the trip. She was taking some well deserved time off from work and motherhood to focus on herself. She loved Henry, but he really was a handful.

She was so grateful that Cheyenne volunteered to have Henry ride with them so Elizabeth would have someone her own age to talk to during the trip. She also made the decision to ride in the back after talking to Brock. After that scene at Reba's, she would've sworn that Reba still wasn't over Brock. After Brock went with Reba to see Dr. Baker, he came back and told her that Reba still insisted that there would be no future between them, despite any feelings that lingered between them. There was no doubt that Reba was stubborn. Barbra Jean felt guilty about how Reba was reacting now. She never would've created that scene at Reba's if she would've known that Kim wasn't actually kissing Brock. She didn't want Brock blowing his chances of winning Reba back by kissing another woman so she reacted by acting like a jealous wife. Barbra Jean wasn't jealous in the least.

She didn't want Brock anymore, but she had to act like a wife for Brock's sake. Reba didn't want the pair to get divorced, but Barbra Jean wanted to be honest. It killed her not to be honest with her best friend, but that would ruin Brock's chances with Reba so she kept that information to herself. She was glad that the information was out in the open with the kids though. She was glad that the family was okay with the divorce. They understood how Reba reacted to things. The kids had always secretly hoped that their parents would get back together.

They didn't want anything to ruin that. Cheyenne was torn though. She wanted her parents back together, but her mother seemed so happy with Mike. She knew that her mother had these feelings for Mike for years now. It killed Cheyenne to have to lie to Reba, but Cheyenne was a daddy's girl after all and Brock was pained to see the love of his life slipping away from him. She would do whatever it took to help him, even if it meant lying to her mother for a little while. Kyra was very much her mother's daughter. She took Reba's side on many issues; but after living with Brock and Barbra Jean, she'd become much closer to her dad.

Kyra knew that Reba still was single because she had unresolved feelings for Brock. Anyone could see that. After living with her dad and his new wife, she learned that her dad still had feelings for her mom too. The divorce should've never happened. Brock admitted that to Kyra two years ago. She was going to do whatever it took to bring her parents back together again. She was just glad that Barbra Jean was on board with it. She would hate to see Barbra Jean hurting because her dad was moving on.

Jake was just happy to have his family together under one roof. There had been so much animosity and fighting for so long that it felt good for everyone to be together without all the bad stuff between them. The last time that his parents had genuinely gotten along was when he was little and he didn't have very many of those memories. Most of his memories consisted of the fighting and the fallout from the divorce. Reba had tried to shelter the kids from her own negativity towards Brock and Barbra Jean, but it was hard for the kids to see their mother going through something so painful. It was easy to blame Brock for everything, even though he was a great dad. All he wanted was to have happily married parents like his friends had. When Brock got his kidney stones, Jake saw how his parents really felt about each other. He knew what had to be done.

Elizabeth was excited about the trip to Oklahoma. She wanted to meet her other family members, especially Reba's grandma. She couldn't wait to learn more about magic. Her mommy and daddy had explained what was going on. She couldn't wait for her grandma and grampy to get back together. She felt bad though. Grandma told her a secret that she was really happy about.

Would Grandma be unhappy without her boyfriend? She really seemed to like him a lot. They were supposed to get married and have a baby. She was excited that Grandma was going to have a baby. She was scared that Grandma would get hurt by everyone lying to her. What if she didn't get to have a baby? Wouldn't that make her very sad? She decided to ask Nana about it.

Henry knew that his parents loved him. They explained all about how they would still be a family, even if Brock and Barbra Jean weren't married anymore. They would be a family, just like Reba and Brock were a family after their divorce. He was sad that his mommy might be alone. She sat him down and explained how making Brock and Reba happy was making her happy so Henry was okay with Brock getting back together with Reba. Reba was so nice, even if she didn't have to be. He'd heard before how Brock left Reba and their kids to be with Barbra Jean because she was pregnant with him. Henry felt sad for a long time thinking that it was partly his fault that Reba was alone and sad sometimes.

Henry was like his mother. He wanted Reba to be happy. He also loved his daddy very much. His brother and sisters seemed excited for their dad to get back together with Reba so he wanted to do what he could to help. It made him feel grownup to share such a big secret with everyone. Van had grown close to Reba. He didn't like lying to her either. He also didn't like her being alone all these years.

He remembered how the family used to be years ago before the divorce. Brock and Reba used to be so happy together. Coach Hart and Mrs. H were like his own parents. He liked Coach Holliway, but it didn't seem right that the family would be separating. After all these years of holding everyone together, it seemed like Reba was ready to let everyone split apart and go their separate ways. That wasn't the Mrs. H that he knew. He knew that eventually Coach Holliway would go back to Oklahoma and Mrs. H would go with him. He didn't know where the family would be without her and he wasn't prepared to find out.

Brock was content. He was driving to Oklahoma with his beloved redhead by his side. She was sleeping. He glanced at her as often as he could, but it was difficult since he had to keep his eyes on the road. She was restless in her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming about.

"I wanna forget. Please just for a little while. Please let me forget. I need to forget." Reba cried out in her sleep.

Barbra Jean lifted up her head from the backseat. "Does she do that often?"

"Yeah, she has a lot of nightmares. She cries out in her sleep almost every night." Brock explained.

"Gosh, Brock! I had no idea that she was suffering so much."

"Ssh! Barbra Jean, go back to sleep. I don't wanna upset her. I hate to wake her because she hasn't slept well lately, but she'll be so upset if she misses it when we cross the state line into Oklahoma."

Barbra Jean went to lie back down. She loved to watch the intimate moments between those two when they thought that no one was looking. She wanted something juicy to write about in her blog. Her readers loved to read about the adventures of Rebecca and Rick. Those were her pseudonyms for Reba and Brock.

Brock put his hand on Reba's shoulder to begin gently waking her up. She stirred, but didn't wake up. "Reba honey, wake up. You're not gonna wanna miss this. We're crossing the state line."

Reba opened her eyes slowly. "Huh? What did you say?" Brock repeated his statement. Reba's eyes flew to the approaching sign that signaled that they were exiting Texas and entering Oklahoma. "That is the best sight that I have ever seen. That is my favorite part of the drive."

"I know. I didn't want ya to sleep through it. Are ya okay? You seemed to struggle in your sleep again."

"Nothing that I can't handle. Thanks for waking me. I have a call to make."

Reba dialed the familiar number. "We just crossed the state line. I know. I'm so excited to see you. We haven't been apart a day since we got back together. I've missed you so much!"

Brock could only hear Reba's side of the conversation. "We're having dinner with Nana tonight. You know that."

"Really? You asked her that? I didn't even say what my answer was yet."

"Oh, well. We need the money so you should take care of things at the bar. You've been away for awhile. I'll see ya after dinner then."

"Yeah, I'm disappointed. I'm only an hour and a half away and I can't wait to see you. Now I have to wait an extra two hours to see you."

"I think that it's worth at least a pout, don't you? I've been dying to see you all week."

"A surprise for me? Can I have a hint? I have a surprise for you too. But I'm making ya wait for yours until tonight."

"Paige is calling me. I have to go now. Dinner with the folks tomorrow night? I forgot. Do we have to? My dad is gonna kill your dad before dessert in front of their grandchildren."

"If my dad has any idea that my mom is sneaking around with your dad, Jason is a dead man. My dad will shoot him on sight."

"If we stick to the plan, everything will be fine. Mama will be so busy trying to contain our behavior. It'll make her think about her own behavior for once."

"I don't know how long I'll be able to keep quiet about what Paige has done. I'll cover for her as long as I can. Daddy will be furious."

"Look, we need to present a united front. We've decided so far to be together and start a family. We don't have to get married to do that. That's all we're gonna say about that. I've gotta go. Paige keeps callin'. I love you too. Bye."

Reba answered the next call from Paige. "What's the big emergency? I was on a call with Mike. I just saw you two days ago."

"We're about an hour and a half away. We just crossed the state line."

"I know. I'm really excited, too. It's gonna be a fun weekend! I'm definitely ready for some fun, Oklahoma style. Do ya have any idea what Mike's surprise is?"

"Thanks a lot. Whose side are you on anyway? I've missed Nana so much."

"She said what? She wants Brock to come to dinner. Why?" Reba groaned.

"Brock and Barbra Jean are supposed to have dinner with Mama and Daddy tonight with the kids."

"I'll bring Elizabeth too, but I don't think that she will enjoy watching Nana grill Brock. Nana might turn him into something bad. I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this. I'll meet you there. I'm stopping briefly at Mama and Daddy's place first before we go. I want to get the kids settled in."

"I got an e-mail from Luke this morning before I left. He's so sweet. He wanted me to have a nice trip."

"It's none of your business. You are the most annoying kid sister on the planet. We're just friends. He's nice and easy to talk to. That's it. I'm hangin' up now. Bye." Reba shook her head as she ended the call.

Brock took that opportunity to talk to her. "How's Paige doin'?"

"She's fine, but she's got nothin' else better to do than meddle in my life."

"I heard. So who's Luke? Someone from school?"

The heavy lashes that shadowed her eyes flew up. "No. He's just a friend that I talk to online."

"Are you seein' him on the side behind Mike's back?"

"No, of course not! He really is just a friend. I met him online about four or five months ago. We just talk online. It's perfectly innocent and very safe. We haven't exchanged any personal information at all. I don't even know his name and he doesn't know mine." she said, clearly surprised that he had asked her.

"You said that his name was Luke."

"For heaven's sakes, Brock, that's just a nickname that I gave him. We met playing poker online and then started talking afterwards."

"What's his screen name? I bet it's something just to attract lonely women."

"His screen name is LovinCowboy84. Happy?" Reba answered with her usual sarcasm.

Brock was momentarily speechless in his surprise. He didn't know how to respond in that moment. Were he and Reba really arguing about this? He wanted to break out his characteristic smirk, but he maintained a blank expression. Man, he really wanted to say something to her about this. Obviously, Reba's friendship with LovinCowboy84 was a lot more meaningful than Brock gave it credit for. Everything was going better than he had anticipated.

"Reba's screen name is RamblinRedRose." Barbra Jean interjected excitedly from the backseat.

"Shut up, Barbra Jean!" Reba yelled. That was the last thing that Reba wanted Brock to find out about. So now, he knew about their poker game online. Biting her lip, she looked away.

Brock leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I knew that you were too pretty to be named Kevin and I was right. So when are we goin' on our date?"

The question was a stab at her heart. That conversation took place between them two years ago. Circumstances were different. She was single and flirting online. She wasn't exactly single anymore. It sent her pulses spinning the same way that it did back then when he told her who he was at the end of their conversation. He seemed to enjoy her struggle to capture her composure.

"When you become a totally different person." There was defiance in her tone as well as subtle challenge. Reba's reaction seemed to amuse him. He seemed very pleased with himself.

Reba turned on the radio. They were close enough now to get the McAlester radio station, KMCO on in the car. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard singing lyrics to a song that she sang in public on the stage at Holliway's six years ago. Reba was stunned. Brock's jaw dropped. Barbra Jean sat up from the backseat with a wide smile.+

"Folks, I'm gonna pick up the pace now. I've got a song to sing to my special guy."

**Under a lovers' sky**  
**Gonna be with you**  
**And no one's gonna be around**  
**If you think that you won't fall**  
**Well just wait until**  
**'Til the sun goes down**

**Underneath the starlight - starlight**  
**There's a magical feeling - so right**  
**It'll steal your heart tonight**

**You can try to resist**  
**Try to hide from my kiss**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**Deep in the dark**  
**You'll surrender your heart**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**No, you can't fight it**  
**It's gonna get to your heart**

**There's no escape from love**  
**Once a gentle breeze**  
**Weaves its spell upon your heart**  
**No matter what you think**  
**It won't be too long**  
**'Til you're in my arms**  
**Underneath the starlight - starlight**  
**We'll be lost in the rhythm - so right**  
**Feel it steal your heart tonight**

**You can try to resist**  
**Try to hide from my kiss**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**Deep in the dark**  
**You'll surrender your heart**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**No, you can't fight it**  
**No matter what you do**  
**The night is gonna get to you**

**Don't try then**  
**You're never gonna win**

**Underneath the starlight - starlight**  
**There's a magical feeling - so right**  
**It will steal your heart tonight**

**You can try to resist**  
**Try to hide from my kiss**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**Deep in the dark**  
**You'll surrender your heart**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**No, you can't fight it**

**You can try to resist**  
**Try to hide from my kiss**  
**But you know**  
**Don't you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**Deep in the dark**  
**You'll surrender your heart**  
**But you know**  
**But you know that you can't fight the moonlight**  
**No, you can't fight it**  
**It's gonna get to your heart**

"Folks, that was Can't Fight the Moonlight. The singer is our very own Reba McKinney-Hart. We have another song for you comin' right up." Michael Davis announced.

"Best brother-in-law ever! I'm gonna make sure that my sister stays married to that guy." Reba said gleefully.

Another song came on the radio.

**I was born 3 months too early**  
**The doctor gave me 30 days**  
**but I must of had my momma's will**  
**And God's amazing grace**  
**I guess I'll keep on livin'**  
**Even if this loves to die for**  
**Cause your bags are packed and I ain't cryin'**  
**You're walking out and I'm not tryin' to change your mind**  
**Cause I was born to be...**

**The baby girl without a chance**  
**A victim of the circumstance**  
**The one who oughta give up**  
**But she's just too hard headed**  
**A single mom who works two jobs**  
**Who loves her kids and never stops**  
**With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter**  
**I'm a survivor...**

**I don't believe in self-pity**  
**It only brings you down**  
**May be the queen of broken hearts**  
**But I don't hide behind the crown**  
**When the deck is stacked against me**  
**I just play a different game**  
**My roots are planted in the past**  
**And though my life is changin' fast**  
**Who I am is who I wanna be**

**The baby girl without a chance**  
**A victim of circumstance**  
**The one who oughta give up**  
**But she's just to hard headed**  
**A single mom who works two jobs**  
**Who loves her kids and never stops**  
**With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter**  
**I'm a survivor...**

**oh...A single mom who works two jobs**  
**Who loves her kids and never stops**  
**With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter**  
**I'm a survivor...**

**But I must of had my momma's will**  
**And God's amazing grace**

**I'm a survivor**

**I'm a survivor...**

"Wasn't she great? That was Reba McKinney-Hart again singin' I'm a Survivor. She will be appearing with the Oklahoma Storm band at Holliway's this Friday and Saturday night. Come on out and see the new changes bein' made at Holliway's." Michael Davis announced again over the airwaves.

Reba turned the radio down when a new song was being played. "I was on the radio. I've never been on the radio before. That was awesome! My sister, her husband, and my boyfriend gave me the most wonderful surprise. I have a wonderful family ever! I love being back home."

Brock winced at the words 'back home'. It was as if after twenty-four years, Reba still didn't consider Houston as home. "That's great, honey. You sound like you were born to be on the radio."

"That was awesome! Let's get to Mama and Daddy's quickly so we can get to Nana's."

When they got to Reba's parents' house, Reba said a quick hello to her parents before running off to explore the land on their property. This was the family homestead that she dearly loved. She jumped on the old tree swing near the barn. She swung back and forth on that for a few minutes before jumping off to run towards the barn. Barbra Jean was with the kids visiting with JV and Helen. Helen was home in anticipation of the arrival of the Hart family. Barbra Jean, Cheyenne, and Kyra carefully watched Brock and Reba as they arrived at the house. They stayed in the house to leave the pair alone outside.

Brock followed Reba from the moment that they had arrived. He loved to see her so carefree. It had been so long since she'd been this way. She was swinging on the old swing just like she'd done so many times all those years ago when he fell in love with her. For a moment, it was like they had traveled back in time and he was the boy with the crush on the cute redhead who barely gave him the time of day. He actually felt that same old pride rise within him. He was proud to be with her. He felt lucky that she'd actually chosen to be with him once.

He'd waited years for her to give him a chance in the first place. When was the last time that he felt that way in Houston when she was still his? Brock realized that if he'd held onto these feelings and cherished Reba properly like she deserved, then she'd still be his wife. He took her away from a life and a home that gave her joy for the promise of everlasting happiness and fulfillment together. He'd let her down. He realized this shamefully. When he looked at her, he saw that same innocent young woman who put all of her faith and trust in him. He followed her out to the barn.

She was sitting in the hayloft with a faraway look in her eyes. He climbed up there to join her. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked.

She was clearly startled by his arrival. "Memories."

"Me, too. This is where you told me that you were pregnant with Cheyenne." An easy smile played at the corners of his mouth.

A thoughtful smile curved her mouth. "I was terrified. You made things better by holding me and telling me that everything would be alright."

"And it was. We have a daughter with a daughter of her own now."

"But I was as scared as Cheyenne was when she told us about Elizabeth."

"I remember that day. All I could think about was the day that you told me about we were having her."

"No. You were thinkin' about makin' babies, not havin' them. I know ya too well. You were lookin' at me with a smirk on your face." Reba said, pointing her finger at him for emphasis.

"You're darn right! How about an old fashioned roll in the hay, honey?" Brock teased.

His smile was boyishly affectionate. She returned the smile. He offered her his arm once they climbed down out of the hayloft. They walked out of the barn, arm in arm.

They arrived at Reba's grandmother's house for dinner. Reba didn't feel like talking to her parents much so they headed out to her grandparents' house faster than expected. Cheyenne McEntire-Smith was a formidable force. Brock heard things that made him worried about meeting her, but he figured that it was about time. She was someone who loved and cared about Reba. He knew that it was important that he get to know her for Reba's sake. If he really loved Reba, then he had to get to know her and all parts of her life. It seemed that Reba kept a part of herself from him and then used that as an excuse to stay away from him.

She seemed to think that they weren't meant to be. Brock was determined to prove that they were so he was going to have to dig deep to discover all the parts of this complicated woman. This dinner was bound to be complicated. Reba insisted that Barbra Jean come to dinner with them. She insisted that Brock be more open and understanding with his wife in order to help their marriage. This conflicted with his plan to spend time with Reba during the vacation. He wanted to be with her without the interruption of everyone else in the family around. They understood, of course, but Barbra Jean was not in a position to argue with Reba.

That left Brock taking Barbra Jean, Elizabeth, and Reba to dinner at Reba's grandparents' house. Cheyenne McEntire-Smith was a brunette with violet eyes who was a classic beauty in her time. It was clear that Reba inherited her strength and her beauty from this woman. She was the matriarch of her family in the same way that Reba was becoming the matriarch of the Hart family. He wondered what Reba would look like when she was seventy-five years old. Brock knew that Reba would still be as beautiful at that age as she was today because she was still as beautiful as she was on the day that they met.

"So you are Brock Hart, hmm? Nana Cheyenne eyed him warily.

"Yes, Ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you." Brock was nervous. Now he knew how Van felt when he was meeting JV, Helen, and Grammy Elizabeth.

"Young man, why is it that I am just now meeting you?"

"I'm not sure. You'd have to ask your granddaughter that question. I've always gone along with what she's wanted."

"Hmm, there's something not right about this."

"Reba made up her mind a long time ago that she didn't want me to know about her abilities or anything else about the family's magic. I can honestly say that, although I'm surprised about it, I'm not upset or anything. Reba is a special, unique person and I value everything that makes her the woman that she is."

"Fair enough." Nana Cheyenne seemed to ponder this for a moment. She put her hands on Brock's arm and closed her eyes. She was silent. It was clear that she was having a vision, but she didn't react as Reba did to her visions. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "It appears that you are not hiding any more secrets that will harm my Reba. Your heart is finally in the right place. So you plan on getting my granddaughter pregnant for the sixth time?"

Brock didn't know what to say to her. What exactly did the old woman know? What was it that she saw in her vision? "Relax, I'm not gonna say a word. I happen to think that she may actually be better off with you. I have it on good authority that you will make a good husband to Reba, if you get that second chance."

"I was under the impression that you didn't like me."

"I didn't. You conspired to hurt my granddaughter. You did many things to lie to her and hurt her. Then I began to see the good things that you've done for her and the good things that you will do for her in the future. I also love my great-grandchildren and you are their father. There's another feisty redhead in your future. Your daughter will be a remarkable young woman."

"Are you saying what I think you're sayin'?" Brock couldn't believe his ears.

"From what I've seen, that seems to be the case. But Reba is very fond of telling me how visions are not set in stone because the future can be easily changed. No matter what I see, Reba seems to be determined to change it. You have a hard road ahead of you. But I can tell you that Maggie will be a source of great joy for you and Reba, if the future plays out like I've seen. Welcome to our family." Nana Cheyenne revealed.

She stuck her hand out and Brock shook it. "I'm honored, Ma'am. I truly am. I'm not gonna blow it this time. I promise."

"You better not, if you know what's good for you. I'll be watching you." She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed her finger at him for emphasis as she gave him the warning. He smiled fondly. She was just like Reba. He pictured Reba saying the same thing to Elizabeth's future husband.

Brock enjoyed the dinner with Reba's grandma and step-grandfather. He was dreading the moment when they had to go to Holliway's. He didn't want to see her with Mike. The thought of seeing them together wounded him deep. He had to come up with a way to win her back. He had an extra incentive now. They had a daughter to bring into the world together. He was not going to let that go without a fight. Being here brought up so many memories of their past for Brock. He wondered if the same was true for Reba. He hoped so. He was hoping that they'd shared enough memories here together to compete with the memories that she shared with Mike. Only time would tell...

What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will happen in Oklahoma? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Coming up: There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight.

On Friday, Reba and Mike take everyone to dinner with their parents. Everyone is gathered to show approval to Mike and Reba's relationship at Frontier's. Reba's father is giving the couple a custom built house on their family's land. Mike's father paid for the renovations to the apartment. The Holliways give the bar and the restaurant over to Mike and Reba to own jointly. Mike is avoiding Reba's efforts at lovemaking because he wants her to agree to marry him first. He wants proof of a commitment. Mike takes on a silent partner in the bar. Reba is not happy with the silent partner.

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Shout out to __Chatte578__. Thanks for your feedback! I'm glad that you liked last week's chapter update. It will be interesting when Brock pretends to have amnesia. I hope that you enjoy reading about Reba's visit to McAlester. It's okay that you don't like Mike. I understand that readers wouldn't like the guy who's taking Reba away from Brock. Yes, there will be more future Breba moments._

_Shout out to leesy96: Thanks for the feedback! I'm happy that you like my story so far!_

_Shout out to __Michaela Quinn__: Thanks for your feedback on my other Knots Landing story. I'm glad that you enjoy reading my writing. Thanks for the support!_

_Shout out to ScarlettLovesRhett: I really like your Gone With the Wind fanfics. I especially like your new story, Young Love Outgrown. It will be interesting to read how Scarlett outgrows her love for Ashley and Reba outgrows her love for Mike. _

_Readers: Please feel free to check out her FF page at:_ _http:/www .fanfiction. net /u/1345871/ScarlettLovesRhett._

_Shout out to Dara Tavar: I'm so sorry that you've had such a hard time lately. It's awful that someone plagiarized your story, Dancing in the Night. Please don't stop writing. I love your Breba story, Falling Back in Love. I look forward to a new update, hopefully soon._

_Readers: Dara has notified me of a big problem that writers face on FF. __A reviewer told her that if enough people complain about this issue, FF will have to do something about it. Well, I hoping that you will all help her out. The person's profile name is D. Kelly and their url is http:/__www. /u/ 2587826/ D_Kelly . To anyone who complains about this, her story is Dancing in the Night and theirs is The True Mate chapter 17 (but on their chapter they write that it is really chapter 16). If you want, you can check out both stories and tell her just how similar they are...the other author told her it was only "two paragraphs" that "sounded similar". Thanks for the help!_

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!

Please participate in the polls. The answers to the polls are giving me a lot of feedback on my story. I get to find out how I am doing with my writing when you take the time to vote on the poll questions. Thank you! I also appreciate your comments and reviews. Keep sending them in! It also helps when you ask questions in your reviews. I work on clarifying the details better when you point out what is not clear in the story.

So far, poll results have shown me quite a bit of what everyone wants to read in this story. That helps a lot. For what Brock should try next to get Reba's attention, most readers want Brock to be a shoulder for Reba to cry on. Some readers want Brock flirt with her and make a move on her. Some readers want Brock to keep being a good friend to Reba. Other readers want him to try something to break up Mike and Reba or get Reba drunk and seduce her. Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the polls so far.

New poll: How do you want me to post my weekly story updates?

2 short chapter updates each week- 1 for Believe in Love Again and 1 for Drop Dead Hero

Stop Believe in Love Again for now-Work on Drop Dead Hero with long chapter updates

Continue Believe in Love Again so we can get to Reba Nell Got Married-long chapter updates

Get back to Drop Dead Hero when possible

**Please tell me what you want me to do. Please vote or leave feedback on this issue. Thanks. **

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_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.**

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**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

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**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**


	39. Revelations and memories

_Dear Readers-_

_I am thrilled with the overall support for my newest story, Drop Dead Hero. Thank you so much! The only thing that I had to decide is how to proceed with my story updates. I have decided to post weekly updates for both stories. I was thrilled that there were readers who did want to read both story updates each week. These will be slightly shorter than what readers are used to. I just didn't want to stop writing this story. _

_I want to let you know that I will not be updating regularly on Sundays anymore. My life is really busy right now. I was trying to get whatever I could written to get it posted on time. I think that it affected the quality of the writing and my ability to keep the story going in the direction that I want it to go. I have a story map that I like to stick to while writing. _

_Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. We really are so close to getting into that story. The truth is that I don't have as many ideas for Drop Dead Hero as I do for this story. If you have any ideas for Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- "I was under the impression that you didn't like me."

"I didn't. You conspired to hurt my granddaughter. You did many things to lie to her and hurt her. Then I began to see the good things that you've done for her and the good things that you will do for her in the future. I also love my great-grandchildren and you are their father. There's another feisty redhead in your future. Your daughter will be a remarkable young woman."

"Are you saying what I think you're sayin'?" Brock couldn't believe his ears.

"From what I've seen, that seems to be the case. But Reba is very fond of telling me how visions are not set in stone because the future can be easily changed. No matter what I see, Reba seems to be determined to change it. You have a hard road ahead of you. But I can tell you that Maggie will be a source of great joy for you and Reba, if the future plays out like I've seen. Welcome to our family." Nana Cheyenne revealed.

She stuck her hand out and Brock shook it. "I'm honored, Ma'am. I truly am. I'm not gonna blow it this time. I promise."

"You better not, if you know what's good for you. I'll be watching you." She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed her finger at him for emphasis as she gave him the warning. He smiled fondly. She was just like Reba. He pictured Reba saying the same thing to Elizabeth's future husband.

Brock enjoyed the dinner with Reba's grandma and step-grandfather. He was dreading the moment when they had to go to Holliway's. He didn't want to see her with Mike. The thought of seeing them together wounded him deep. He had to come up with a way to win her back. He had an extra incentive now. They had a daughter to bring into the world together. He was not going to let that go without a fight. Being here brought up so many memories of their past for Brock. He wondered if the same was true for Reba. He hoped so. He was hoping that they'd shared enough memories here together to compete with the memories that she shared with Mike. Only time would tell...

What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? What will happen in Oklahoma? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's visit to McAlester. There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight._

_On Friday, Reba and Mike will take everyone to dinner with their parents. Everyone is gathered to show approval to Mike and Reba's relationship at Frontier's. Reba's father is giving the couple a custom built house on their family's land. Mike's father paid for the renovations to the apartment. The Holliways give the bar and the restaurant over to Mike and Reba to own jointly. Mike is avoiding Reba's efforts at lovemaking because he wants her to agree to marry him first. He wants proof of a commitment. Mike takes on a silent partner in the bar. Reba is not happy with the silent partner._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

After dinner, Brock heard shouting coming from upstairs. Reba was arguing with Nana Cheyenne. "I wanna forget. Please just for a little while. Please let me forget. I need to forget. You can help me. I know that you can."

"I've told you before, child. No, I'm not gonna do that."

"Please. It's not fair to have t' live this way. I'm carryin' around too much baggage and it hurts. I can't even lead a happy life. These things are keeping me from living my life as a happy and whole person."

"But Reba, these dreams and visions that you have of the past are important. They keep you from making mistakes in the future. History tends to repeat itself and you haven't learned your lesson yet."

"What lesson is that, Nana? Tell me. Is it the one where I get dumped at the altar on my wedding day? How about the time that I got pregnant, gave birth prematurely, and watched my child die? Is it the one where I feel so absolutely hopeless that I try to end my life? How about the time that I have horrible visions about having my heart crushed because my husband is gonna cheat on me and leave me? I marry him anyway, hoping that I can change the future somehow. Is it the one where I know what's gonna happen and I still kiss the love of my life goodbye, breaking his heart for nothin'? How about when I came back to town pregnant and had to live through losin' another child on the floor of our apartment while I almost bleed to death and lie there dying? I've made so many mistakes that I don't know where to begin again. I don't know how to find my way back from that. I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror. I can't sleep because I'm so haunted by these things. I'm haunted every time I close my eyes and I have a hard time bein' touched. Spare me the lecture."

"But sweetheart, you will have a wonderful future. I promise. I've seen it. Maggie..."

"Spare me the Maggie thing again, will ya? I'm gonna show you my pain," Reba stated as her voice got choked up and tears filled her eyes.

"Oh honey, I know how much you've been through." Nana said, gently trying to calm Reba down.

At this point, Barbra Jean came running up the stairs to help calm Reba down. Her best friend was in pain and she couldn't stand to let her go through this without her. That's what best friends are for. Barbra Jean made it upstairs in time to see Reba grab Nana's hand. Barbra Jean went to grab Reba's other hand for comfort without knowing what was really going on. When Reba has a hold of both hands in hers, she goes into the flashbacks to show them what really haunts her. The flashbacks run like a slideshow of joyous and later painful memories through the years. When it ends and Reba released their hands, Barbra Jean had tears flooding her eyes as well.

"Oh my God, you knew what was gonna happen all this time. Why didn't you do somethin'? My relationship with Brock didn't have to happen."

"No, Barbra Jean, you're wrong. I believe in free will. I'd hoped that love would be enough to change things. Brock had the free will to make his own choices. He simply didn't love me enough. My love wasn't enough for him. You have to see that you belong with him."

"I'm gonna go back downstairs," Barbra Jean responded. Reba nodded. Barbra Jean gave her a hug and went in search of Brock.

Nana had tears in her eyes also. She took her granddaughter in her arms and held her, gently rocking her back and forth for a few minutes.

"Hey, guys! Let's get Reba ready to meet Mike," Paige suggested, trying to help Reba regain control of her emotions.

Barbra Jean found Brock on the back porch. "I just couldn't stand to hear her so upset. I figured that she would be in good hands when you went up there."

Barbra Jean slapped him upside the head, which was unexpected because that was something Reba normally did. "Reba is right. You really are a moron."

"What was that for?" Brock yelped, rubbing the back of his head.

"She knew everything that was gonna happen before you two got married. She had nightmares and visions about it. She decided to marry you anyway. She loved you that much. Your marriage was a beautiful disaster. She knew all those years ago about the separation, our affair, and everything. She had faith in you and you let her down. Mike is with her now because he was there for her when you weren't."

"Does she know about Vegas?"

"I don't think so, but does that really matter now? You've got a huge mountain to climb."

"I already knew that!"

"Most of her pain is because of you."

"Was she ever happy with me?"

"Of course, why do you think that she sticks around? She could've moved back here to be with people who loved her as soon as the divorce was final. She obviously loves you and there are moments between you that make her happy. So, she's stuck around, even if it causes her pain down the line. That is incredible. What are ya gonna do?"

"I'm gonna start climbin' that mountain. I've also got a wall to tear down, brick by brick."

Paige and Nana helped Reba get ready to meet Mike. She changed into a mid-length black silky crepe jersey dress that showed off her legs with a pair of basic black pumps while giving her a look of glamour. She left her hair down in curls. Paige worked on her makeup. By the time that they were done, Reba felt beautiful. She looked at herself in the mirror with pride. She was ready to knock his socks off. She turned to Nana to say goodbye. Just then, Paige got a call from Michael Davis. After she hung up, she turned to Reba.

"Max is at Holliway's with Mike. Michael just came from there."

"He's gonna ruin everything. Mike is gonna dump me for sure if he finds out what's really been goin' on." Reba said. Her panic was rising by the minute. This entire part of the visit had Reba's blood pressure skyrocketing. Suddenly, Reba's world went black. Her body went crashing down to the floor. Brock and Barbra Jean heard a crash from downstairs. They went running up to see what had happened. Brock saw Reba's body on the floor and rushed to her side. Barbra Jean was crying.

"What happened?" Brock asked. His face was clouded with worry. The mother of his children, who happened to be the love of his life, was passed out on the floor.

"She panicked. She worried about so much that her body couldn't take the stress anymore," Paige explained.

"Barbra Jean, go get a wet washrag and some water. Brock, step back." Nana ordered. She took Paige's hand. "I'm gonna do what she asked."

"It's only temporary, isn't it?" Paige asked.

"Honey, you know that I can't make it permanent. It will be just enough to get her over this and stabilize her blood pressure."

Barbra Jean rushed over with the water and washrag. Reba started to slowly pull out of her unconscious state. "It's okay, Reba. We're here. Don't try to talk yet." Nana commented. Nana whispered the spell to Paige and they began to chant it over Reba. There was a glow around Reba. The glow faded and Reba sat up, smiling.

Brock felt the rush of relief wash over him. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm fine. I've never felt better. What happened?" Reba asked.

"You passed out from high blood pressure. I did what you asked, but it's only temporary." Nana explained.

"Okay, so what did you do and when does it wear off?" Reba asked.

"I did a small spell. You will feel no pain, panic, worry, or fear for tonight, but it wears off at 3 a.m." Nana explained further.

"Why 3 a.m.?" Brock asked. He still didn't understand how all of these things that were a part of Reba and her family worked yet.

"It's called the witching hour. It's like midnight changing into a new day. Temporary spells end. New spells begin. Sometimes even abilities get stronger during the hour between 3 and 4 a.m." Paige explained.

"That's fine. I'll be too busy with Mike to worry about a thing at 3 a.m." Reba responded. Without warning, her mind took her to a phone call six years ago at 3 a.m.

**Flashback-**

**Her cell phone rang, bringing her out of a deep slumber. She picked up the phone and answered it without looking at it. "Hello," she answered groggily. **

**"****Hi there, honey. I really wanted to talk to you. Did I wake you?"**

**"****Yes, but that's okay. I've been waiting to hear from you. Is everything okay?"**

**"****Yes. Things are doing better."**

**"****Is she there with you? Is Blondie there right now?"**

**"****No, honey. I'm all alone."**

**"****Good. I know that I promised to be nice, but it's gonna take me awhile to stop being bitter. That woman wrecked my marriage. It's not easy."**

**"****I know. Are you doing okay?"**

**"****Yeah. I had fun tonight."**

**"****What was the best part of the evening?"**

**"****It was amazing to get up on stage again. I haven't sung like that in years."**

**"****I know. I always loved to hear you sing."**

**"****I told Lori Ann about Vegas. I figured that we should be honest about the whole thing. She seemed surprised. I guess she should've been. I never had any indication from your reactions earlier that day that we'd end up in bed together later that night. Just to let you know I'm really happy that it was you. It makes it so much more special to me."**

**"****Really? I figured that you didn't want to talk about it ever. You never mentioned the baby at all."**

**"****That's what's so great about being here. I feel like the old me. I'm working things out. I don't have any reason to let the past haunt me anymore. I want to talk about the baby again. Speaking of kids, did you get a chance to check on the other kids?"**

**"****They're in bed sound asleep. Being a father is important to me, you know."**

**"****I know that. Is the little guy okay now?"**

**"****He's doing a little bit better. I have everything under control. Don't worry about a thing."**

**"****That's a relief. I went to bed, worrying about that tonight. I miss you."**

**"****I miss you too, honey. You have no idea how much."**

**"****I hate it when we argue. We've wasted too much time already to let stuff like that get between us."**

**"****I agree. What are we gonna do about that?"**

**"****I like the sexy thing that you're doing with your voice."**

**"****Really? What do you like about it?"**

**"****I can't quite describe it. It's just turning me on. I also love being sung to, you know."**

**"****Really?"**

**"****Yep, it works as an aphrodisiac for me. I'm a sucker for a man with a guitar. You'll have to sing to me in the privacy of our bedroom sometime."**

**"****I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Why are we just now having this conversation?"**

**"****I don't know. This seems like the right time. You're my best friend. I don't want to lose you again. You said that we'd work on things so I'm trying to communicate with you more. I can't keep my heart locked up forever to keep from getting hurt. I'd miss a lot of good stuff, too."**

**"****I wanted to tell you that I thought about what you said to me earlier. You're a wonderful mother and I want to do more to help you with the kids. It's not fair for you to have to take on so much. I want to be involved and work on parenting together. You shouldn't come back to Houston until you're ready. No pressure here. I really do love you, you know. I don't think that you really believe that and I can see why. I do see things from your perspective. I've made mistakes, but that didn't stop me from loving you and wanting to be with you. I tried telling you two months ago."**

**"****I know. The message was clear. I was in a really difficult situation and very confused. I was scared of committing to something else when I clearly couldn't give you what you needed. I've just blown through two marriages at this point. I've lost two men to pregnant blonde bimbos. It doesn't feel good. I'm scared that the next time I get to say those important vows, I'm gonna get hurt again."**

**"****You shouldn't feel that way. You didn't do anything wrong. I did. You tried as hard as you could to keep us together. I messed up. I'm so sorry. I've been wondering how in the world I could get you to take me back after everything that's happened."**

**"****That part is easy. Love makes it easier than you think. We've hurt each other a lot; but if we can get past that, we'll be okay."**

**"****I still see you as my wife, you know. I always wanted to marry you. I've felt that way since the first time that I asked you to marry me. It's not old-fashioned for me to want to marry the mother of my child because I'm in love with you. It's always been about love for me."**

**"****I believe that I've found the magic formula to keeping you happy. I told Lori Ann about it and she laughed at me."**

**"****That sounds like Lori Ann. So what's this magic formula?"**

**"****The one thing that I learned from my ex is that there are three things that are important to a man: a sexy woman, a sandwich, and a sexy woman making him a sandwich."**

**He chuckled. "That sounds about right."**

**"****I'm doing my best here. I just want you to be happy. I even put it in the guide. Lori Ann and I were baking cookies and I told her that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It's true," she remarked.**

**He chuckled again. **

**"****You've got to stop doing that with your voice. You really working that Texas drawl, aren't you? It's been too long," she continued.**

**"****Well, I like your Okie twang, too. You've always had a sexy voice."**

**"****How much do you miss me?"**

**"****Very much. I'd show you how much, but I'm not there with you."**

**"****So come home already. It feels like I've been waiting forever for you to come home. I could dress in something sexy and greet you home properly. Maybe we could have a candlelight dinner, if we could get the place to ourselves."**

**"****You want me to come back home?"**

**"****Definitely! You've been gone too long. I really miss you, honey." Reba's voice changed to a more sultry tone. "I've been frustrated all night. I was thinking about how it used to be for us before. I've missed singing to you and seeing your face every day. I've been really lonely. I don't want to be lonely anymore. I want you to wrap your arms around me and hold me. I want to feel your touch on my skin. I love kissing you. When you're not around, it feels like a part of me is missing."**

**"****I guess I didn't realize that you still felt that way. I just didn't know you felt so strongly about me. I want the same thing, honey. I just didn't realize how much I missed you until you kissed me again. I just haven't known what to do or say. Just when I figured out that things were really over, you came back to me. You have no idea how much that means to me."**

**"****I'm lying here dreaming about satin sheets, rose petals, tequila, Passion Margaritas, slow dances, black lingerie, your strong arms wrapped around me, the way that my fingers feel running through your hair, your bedroom eyes, fiery kisses, and wild passion."**

**"****Is that what brought you back to me two months ago?"**

**"****Sure. Being with you again would be like a dream come true. Since we've technically been married twice already, do you think that third time is the charm?"**

**"****Sure thing, honey. Do you really want to marry me again?"**

**"****Yeah, I thought that I made that pretty clear. I've got the papers. A wedding should be in our future."**

**"****How about we forget about those papers?"**

**"****Sure. No more talking about the divorce papers. We'll can take things slow and see where things go. I just really thought that you wanted me to be married to you."**

**"****I do, honey. Believe me, I do. This is a strange conversation. We never talk like this."**

**"****So who's the better girlfriend, me or the blonde?"**

**"****You. Why? Do you want to be my girlfriend? I thought that you wanted to be my wife."**

**"****I thought that we'd date until we finally get married again. Why? What do you want to call me?"**

**"****I call you anything that you want to be called, honey."**

**"****I like it when you call me honey. It sounds so good to me."**

**"****I can remember a time when you hated it when I called you honey."**

**"****If you're not going to be honest and upfront with me, then I always get mad at ya. You tried to chicken out on being with me forever."**

**"****It wasn't like that."**

**"****Then what was it like? Sorry, honey. She's pregnant and I have to marry her. You vowed for better or for worse, and when things got rough, you wanted out. All you had to do was talk to me. You never even asked me how I felt or tried to work things out with me so we could face it together. I was ready to accept the situation and deal with it, but you didn't want to know that. After that, I think that I've earned another wedding where you prove to me that this time will be forever."**

**"****That doesn't seem like such an unreasonable request to me. I would love to prove to you exactly how much I love you by exchanging vows in front of the kids and our families."**

**"****But we've got to be equal partners. I'm strong willed and you're stubborn. We've got to agree to do everything 50/50 this time. We've got to talk, laugh, and spend time together. We've got to have nights out without the kids. I want to dance with you every night before we go to bed. I want to wake up in your arms every morning for the rest of our lives. I want us to fool around while making breakfast in the kitchen, fall asleep watching movies on the couch, and maybe even make love in every room of our home. We've got to share fantasies and stuff."**

**"****Fantasies, huh?"**

**"****We've got to keep things exciting. We could fool around on the desk in your office or we could try the one where you pretend that we're strangers and you try to pick me up. You take me home and have your way with me. If you are so attracted to blondes, then I can wear my blonde wig for you. It'll be like you're cheating on me with me."**

**He chuckled again. "You want me to have my way with you? When did you go out and buy a blonde wig?"**

**"****Don't laugh. I have a brunette wig, too. I bought them twenty years ago when you made that dirty little comment."**

**"****What comment?"**

**"****You said that you'd barely begun to sow your wild oats before settling down with me. You'd wondered how I would look as a blonde and a brunette. It got me thinking. I figured that our married life wouldn't be so boring for you if you got to indulge your fantasies a bit with me. I'd like to try the one where I'm dressed in nothing but your old football jersey and laid out on the bed like a Playmate. I'd let you take pictures of me and then ravish me on the bed or the floor or both."**

**"****Where have you been all my life?"**

**"****Waitin' for you to wake up. You've had the key to happiness all along. All you had to do was reach out for it. I've been waitin' for you to want to be with me again, really be with me. Connect with me like the soul mates that we were meant to be. We have a second chance now. Let's not blow it this time."**

**"****I know, honey, I know. If you really take me back, I'll promise you all of that and more."**

**"****I'm glad. If you're good, I have plans for you when I see you again. I wanna grab you, throw you up against the wall, and make love with you right there with fierce, passionate intensity. I wanna see that look in your eyes that you had the night we first made love. You had that look in your eyes the last time we slept together, too. I've missed seein' that look in your eyes."**

**"****Honey, you're the sexiest woman that I've ever met. Wanna come home with me, tonight?" **

**"****Ohh, now you're getting' into it. Can you picture me on top of the bar singin' and dancin' for you? I could handcuff you to a chair and do a sexy striptease for you or you could strip for me. I could always undress you, but remember you don't get to touch me until I say so. I know that you'd like that."**

**"****Honey, you have no idea how badly I want you right now."**

**"****Are you sure? I'm gonna be a grandmother. Are you still gonna want me when I'm somebody's grandmother?"**

**"****Well, you're not my grandmother. Believe me; I'll still want you when we're old and gray."**

**"****We're getting old. Just ask one of your kids. We're almost in our forties."**

**"****We're barely gettin' started. Besides you'll always look twenty to me."**

**"****Good answer. You're lucky that you're not here 'cause I'd rip the shirt right off ya." The phone on the nightstand began to ring. "Hold on, a sec. I have to answer this. I'll be right back." Reba answered it.  
**

**Reba froze. She looked at the phone in her hand. Who was on her cell phone? It's not Mike on the cell phone. Mike is on the other phone.**

**She moved slowly back to the call on the cell phone. ****"****Hi. I'm back. Okay, who is this because I know that this has to be some kind of joke? It's not funny. Terry, I swear, if you think that you can sweet talk me, you've got another thing comin'. You're dating Lori Ann, you moron. She's not gonna find this funny either. You can't be comin' on to me while you're sleeping with my best friend. I'm taken and spoken for, so that's that. I thought that we'd cleared this up before. I wouldn't have danced with you tonight if I'd known that you'd pull somethin' like this on me. Prank calls are so stupid, you moron. You better not be serious, Terry. 'Cause I'll take you down. I'll punch you in the gut and knee you in the groin. You know that I can do it."**

**"****Slow down, Reba. This is not Terry, okay?"**

**"****Is this your idea of a joke? I didn't do anything to deserve this. You woke me up out of a dead sleep. It's three o'clock in the morning. Who in the world would call someone at this hour to have this type of conversation?"**

**"****Reba, honey, I didn't start this type of conversation. You did. This was a friendly call to see how you were doing and to set your mind at ease. Before you start jumping to conclusions again, I suggest that you look at your caller i.d. Honey, I didn't call to fight with you, honest."**

**Reba took her cell phone away from her ear. She looked at the name on caller i.d. It read Home. Reba's hand flew to her mouth. "Brock, wow, what are you doin' at the house?"**

**"****Honey, you didn't leave me much of a choice. I got a note and then you left. There were four kids in the house to take care of. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to take care of a sick little boy, an angry preteen, and two married teenagers who can't keep their hands off each other."**

Brock was remembering pieces of this conversation in his mind, too. He remembered some things that stuck out in his mind, the things that Reba said and the way that he responded to her.

**Reba-"It wasn't a stranger in Vegas, okay. Drunk or not, I wanted somethin' to happen. I'm not sorry."**

"**It wasn't hard to follow the train of breadcrumbs, Brock. There were little clues. I just had to piece them together. It was just too personal to have been with a stranger. It wasn't just sex. It was somethin' else, somethin' that really touched me deep inside. It was just like I'd imagined that making love would be like. It's nice to know that my baby was conceived that way. You were a good friend to me, Brock, through the whole thing with the baby. I really have to thank you for that. I really appreciate how much you helped me through that. I was terrified and alone. I did a horrible thing. I do that a lot. Every time, things are really bad. I hold it in. There have been so many times that I should've been leaning on Mike for support because that's what you do when you love someone. You let them be your shelter from the storm, your home."**

"**Every marriage that worth savin' deserves to be saved. I really believe that."**

"**Whenever I'm mad, hurt, or scared, I run as fast and as far away from the problem as I can. My life is back to being that tornado out of control again. I can't live like that. The kids and I need stability. I need to be with someone who's gonna love me forever, even through the bad times. I need a real partner to rely on. I need to be with a man who knows for sure what he wants. I need someone who wants to fight for me, for our life together, our family, and our marriage. Can you put us first before anything else, no matter what? I need to rebuild a life, a good one. I might even want more children someday."**

**Brock-"****You love me. The way that you talked to me tonight showed me that. Come on, you had to have recognized my voice somehow, even on a subconscious level. You've asked me to come back home. We just made love two months ago."**

Brock remembered some of their next conversation.

"**That's a convenient story, Brock. You didn't talk to me for two days after. We haven't talked about that night at all. Actions speak louder than words, you mo-ron."**

He remembered something from the video, too.

"**As long as we're here, we might as well finish gettin' drunk," Lori Ann remarked. She started pouring more whiskey into glasses. Reba took the glass and made a toast. **

"**To the past, leave it there because it can really come back to haunt ya. To Terry, may he rest in peace. To us, may we finally find someone that we can each spend the rest of our lives with."**

"**I'll drink to that!"**

"**I really feel like gettin' some revenge tonight. I'm so mad!"**

"**You're only sayin' that because you're not in the pool room gettin' lucky right now."**

"**No, I stood here earlier and sang Terry's favorite song right in front of Brock and Mike. Mike didn't do anythin', but give me the secret signal. Brock had tears in his eyes. He practically begged me to stay at the motel with him tonight to talk about Terry. He's not takin' this whole thing very well. I expected Mike to do somethin' to get things out in the open, but he didn't. I want a relationship; instead I've got two mo-rons who want to confuse the heck out of me. I'm not doin' the grief sex thing with Brock. If I'd stayed, it could've turned out that way."**

"**Instead you chose grief sex with Mike. At least you would've been on a bed with Brock. With Mike, you ended up on a pool table."**

"**Yes, but it was hot and excitin'. I've never done anythin' like that before. Every time we see each other, I wonder what will happen next. I kinda like that. It's never boring. It's like a roller coaster ride. I can usually predict exactly what would happen with Brock, down to every move that he makes. Barbra Jean can have him. I don't want that anymore. I'm gonna save myself the time and energy. I don't want safe, predictable, and dependable anymore. It hasn't gotten me the happily ever after that I've spent my life wishin' for."**

"**Brock is not that predictable or dependable. Did you predict that he would have an affair with Barbra Jean? Didn't he walk out on your marriage when you were depending' on him?"**

**Reba took another swallow of the burning liquid. "Yeah, who does he think he is anyway? Nobody plays around with my emotions like that. I need revenge. I know exactly what I wanna do. I'm gonna call Barbra Jean and pretend to be at the motel with Brock. She's been callin' the motel because she's worried that he's gonna end up in bed with me."**

"**That's priceless. You should do that."**

**Reba picks up the phone on the bar and dials out for anonymous call to Barbra Jean's place without the number showing up on caller id. She sets the phone down on the bar counter and starts making moaning noises near the phone while Kim is leaving the bar. Mike comes out of his office.**

"**What is she doin'?" Mike whispered to Lori Ann.**

"**She's gettin' Brock in trouble with his new wife," she whispered back.**

**Mike whispers into Reba's ear. She stops for a second, obviously stunned by what he said to her, when she heard Mike making the same noises and moaning Reba's name with a Texas drawl. He grabbed Reba and started to really kiss her. Lori Ann ended the call.**

"**Okay, fun's over," Lori Ann declared.**

**Mike stopped kissing Reba. She stood there, silently stunned by the kissing.**

**Mike starts laughing. "Brock is gonna be in so much trouble when he gets home. That was actually a lot of fun. I haven't done anythin' like that in a long time."**

**Reba started laughing, too. "Yeah, me neither. How'd you do that thing with your voice?"**

"**In junior high and high school, Brock and I used to call girls on the phone to see if they could tell us apart. It was a pretty good trick. Most girls always thought that they were talkin' to Brock when they were talkin' to me."**

That's when a plan began to form in Brock's head. He only knew one way to stop Reba before she could reconnect with Mike again. He was gonna have to rely on Barbra Jean for help again. He hoped that she'd want to help out. He was counting on her cooperation to make his plan work. He hoped that she would side with him over Reba, if he explained that it was for her own good. He was counting on the fact that she promised to do anything she could to help him and Reba get back together.

When they pulled up in front of Holliway's, Reba turned to face Brock and Barbra Jean. "I'm gonna tell ya what's goin' on. But you have to promise to listen to what I have t' say and not judge me, okay? I'm talkin' to you both about this because you are my two best friends. What I have to say doesn't leave this car. I don't want Mike to find out any of this until I decide to tell him, okay? I mean it, Brock. You can't tell Mike any of this, no matter what."

"Reba, you should know that I'm always gonna be on your side. Now, talk to me."

Reba took a deep breath. "Okay, things with Max aren't quite as innocent as I've made them out to be. We've been carryin' on an affair on and off for the last five and a half years or so. We're both single, but I've made it clear that I've been waitin' for things between Mike and I to solidify so we can start the rest of our lives together. It's purely physical and it only happens about once or twice a year. It's helped my stress level and my blood pressure. He's showed up when I've really needed someone."

"Reba's been havin' booty calls? Way to go!" Barbra Jean remarked.

"Barbra Jean, that is not an appropriate response," Brock responded.

"I kinda like this. I'm not worried or afraid, so all that's left is honesty. Hey, Barbra Jean, I need your help."

"You got it!"

"Don't you wanna know what it is first?" Reba said, rolling her eyes at the thought of her friend's unusual behavior. Barbra Jean simply shook her head. This time Barbra Jean's unusualness would serve a purpose for her. "Max has kinda been stalking me. He knows that I'm not interested and he's still comin' around. I need you to flirt with him. He's rich and handsome so you'll like him. He's better looking than Dr. Morgan. I just need you to do your usual thing with him so I can pretend to get mad and break up with him."

"Better looking than Jack? Count me in." Barbra Jean answered eagerly.

"Barbra Jean, this is not the way to handle this. Reba, you are askin' my wife to openly flirt and kiss another man right in front of me. Do you realize that?" Brock responded in disbelief.

Reba shot him a questioning look. "Brock, she does this all the time. This time I'm askin' her to put her tart behavior to good use. You've been married to her for almost six years. This type of thing has never shocked you before. I'd think that you'd be used to it by now."

"It's not a problem. Brock and I are separated. It's really none of his business what I do."

"Perfect. Just follow my lead. I'll get Mike out of the way and then after I start talkin' to Max, I'll give you a signal and you can pounce on him. So, how do I look?"

"You look nice." Brock answered. Barbra Jean went to lie back down in the backseat, determined to stay out of the way of the argument.

Reba shot him a venomous look. "You mo-ron, when a woman asks how she looks, you don't say nice. There are so many adjectives to use to make a woman feel attractive, but nice isn't one of them. You will never learn, will ya?"

"Wow, those hormones really are causing you to overreact. Reba, I am caught in a Catch-22 here. Men don't say anything to make another woman feel attractive when they are with their wives. You challenged me to become a better husband. Wouldn't a better husband give an answer like that?"

"Fair enough. You are right." Reba answered. Brock gave her a look of triumph with his usual smug, satisfied smile. Reba rolled her eyes again. "There's a first time for everything."

Reba got to work checking out her reflection in the mirror. She added more of the soft blush lipstick, applied some floral perfume and began to fix her hair.

"What is that scent? That's not your usual perfume." Brock asked, clearly perplexed by the change in Reba's demeanor.

"I know. I make this myself. Paige and I make our own perfume. I mix a touch of oriental, floral, mimosa, rose, musk and bergamot oils with my own pheromones."

"Is that one of your new things?" Barbra Jean asked, still lying down in the back.

"No, I've been makin' my own perfume since I was 17. I worked to find the right combination of fragrances that work with my body to produce the best smell. The chemical reaction to the oils and pheromones make me irresistible to Mike."

"So it's part of a spell?" Brock asked.

"No, it's just good science. I paid attention in chemistry class in high school unlike you." Reba stuck her tongue out at Brock playfully.

"Why didn't you ever wear it before?" Brock asked. He was a little peeved that Reba went to so much trouble for Mike and not for him.

"Because I had to work and raise a family. I didn't have time to work on developing a formula that works specifically for me with you, so I used a store brand. Different people respond differently to various smells."

"How did you get pheromones to use for that?"

"Science, Dr. Hart. Pheromones are found in sweat. I used a cloth with a small amount of my sweat on it to filter the oils. Did you actually pay any attention in your science classes or did you get some girl to do your homework for you?"

"Hey, Miss Smarty Pants, you're the one who tutored me in some of my science classes. I just don't remember that particular lesson."

_Author's notes: I'm not making this up. My perfume got discontinued. I'd been wearing it for my husband since we met. He loved how it smelled on me so I found out the ingredients. It's easy to mix up your own fragrance. I found the information about pheromones a while ago. I thought that it might work for Reba in this story. Wouldn't it be cool if Reba came out with a perfume and called it Forever Love?_

"You should give your special perfume a name," Barbra Jean suggested.

"I do. I call it Forever Love."

"You should call it Forever Reba." Barbra Jean commented.

"Thank you, Barbra Jean." Reba responded.

"I think that I do remember you wearing a fragrance like that before."

"That was long before we got married."

"I remember that now," Brock responded softly. He remembered kissing her neck. He had to shake off those memories for now. He had to keep his head on straight in front of Reba. Reba was smart enough to catch on to any mistakes that he made.

Brock pulled the car up to the parking lot at Holliway's. There was a fancy sports car parked out front with Oklahoma license plates. "What in the world is that? Whose car is that?"

Reba smiled proudly. In the aftermath from their divorce, Brock ended up with a poor dental hygienist who was tall, blonde, and goofy. The woman had a past full of affairs with married men and she enjoyed spending Brock's money like water. Reba temporarily landed herself an attractive, wealthy widower. This man wanted Reba for herself and she wanted nothing to do with his money. If only Reba could love him, it would be the perfect situation for her. Reba was saddened to realize that she was going to have to give this really nice guy a dose of reality. How do you tell someone who was so genuine that you're truly was only in the relationship for the temporary thrills that he gave you in bed?

She was grateful to him for how much he helped her when she was pregnant and alone all those years ago. That was how he managed to maintain a connection with her, even after all this time. He watched her grow while she was having John and watched her grieve when she lost him. It wasn't his fault that she couldn't love him. Reba shook those thoughts off and glanced at Brock. He was seething with jealousy. Reba was secretly thrilled. It was a petty victory, but it made Reba feel so much better about having to see Max that night.

Reba did another eye roll when she addressed Brock. She didn't want to give her true emotions away. "Brock, that is a 1984 Ferrari Testarossa. It belongs to Max."

"You know I could've afforded a car like that before that IRS mess if I'd wanted to."

"Sure, Brock. Sugar, you are so tight-fisted that there's no way you'd ever buy anything like that. Remember I was married to ya for eighteen years. That's too bad because I look really good in that car," Reba responded. She winked at him and patted him on the shoulder. "You know, the last time we were in front of this door, Barbra Jean was worried about old feelings bubblin' up to the surface for us in one far away from home in a hotel with your ex gettin' sloppy drunk night. Hey, Barbra Jean, how do I look?"

Barbra Jean was out of the car and standing right behind them. "Still lookin' all sassy, Reba. I've gotta watch out for you," she joked.

"Barbra Jean, you still have nothin' to worry about. If Brock tries to rekindle anythin' during this trip, I'll hit him upside the head with my suitcase."

"Reba, I told ya. I don't care what he does." When Barbra Jean said this, Reba immediately felt bad for Brock.

She wanted to shrug it off with a joke. "Men don't usually like when I don't wanna sleep with them anymore. Isn't it funny that I'm gonna be in a room with every man that I've ever slept with?"

Barbra Jean looked inside the bar through the glass. "I'm not sure that room is big enough for all the men that I've slept with."

Reba couldn't control her burst of laughter. "Thanks, Barbra Jean. My stomach felt like it was full of firecrackers and vinegar."

"I'm nervous, too. I've gotta be nice to the guy who's replacing me. I'm not sure that I'm that good of an actor."

"Shame on you, Brock. He's always been our friend. He should be mad at you. You kinda took me away from him in the first place. Actually, Brock, I think that you are a very good actor. You pretended to be his friend when you were trying to steal his fiancée from him the whole time. I actually do feel better now. I can handle this. It's not like I have any interest in sleeping with you or Max anymore." Reba had no intention of permitting herself to fall under the spell of either of those two men. She had to focus on the current man in her life.

"We've had a lot of great times here, haven't we?" he remarked. Brock's hand came down over Reba's possessively. Reba nodded. "Any chance of us staying sober tonight?" he asked.

Reba softly chuckled again. "Never can tell. Maybe Barbra Jean can be your designated driver. Someone has to drive you back tonight." Barbra Jean had managed to wrangle an invitation from Helen for her and Brock to stay at their house while they were in town. "I still say that your best years are already behind ya," she said to Brock mockingly.

"Ha, ha. After you," Brock responded, opening the door for Reba to enter Holliway's first.

He was struck by the same memory that he thought of when they came back to McAlester for Terry's funeral.

**Flashback-Young Reba and Brock enter the bar. It was the day after their night on the beach at Lake McAlester. That was the night that they conceived Cheyenne. "Okay, say it again. I have to hear it one more time," Brock said, gently looking into her eyes.**

"**I love you, Brock." Reba said, smiling at him.**

**Brock was so excited to hear those words from her. Those were the words that he'd waited so long to hear. He moved to put his arms around her to hold her in his arms. He didn't care who knew that they were officially a couple. She finally loved him as much as he loved her. "That's all I need. With that, I can climb the highest mountain or swim the deepest sea."**

**Reba wiggled out of his grasp. They argue a little over which one was going to tell Terry and Mike about their relationship. Flashback ended.**

Reba was remembering that moment, too. She remembered how bad she felt when it was time to tell Mike that she was with Brock. She remembered the look on Mike's face when they told him. That was the look on Brock's face now. When she looked at Brock, he quickly changed his expression. He smiled at her as if nothing was wrong. Mike was behind the bar, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Max was sitting at the bar, drinking a beer. It was evening and there weren't any customers in the bar because the bar was closed for the night.

Reba was unprepared for how she would feel at seeing Max again, sitting casually with Mike. Max was also in jeans and a t-shirt. He stood up off the bar stool upon seeing her. Max was six feet tall with an average build. He carried himself with an air of confidence. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes like Mike did. He really didn't look like he was a man in his fifties. The only thing that would give away his age would be the gray outlining his beard.

He was sporting new facial hair- the moustache and beard. She was sorry that she ever told him that she'd found that so attractive about Brock in their early years. Why in the world was he there right now with her boyfriend, Mike? What was going on? She couldn't wait to get the answers. Mike was startled to see her. "You're early. Honey, I'm not ready. I wanted to look good for you when you arrived. I've got to shower and change. I wanted things to be romantic for you when you came home."

Reba smiled, but was thrown by this exchange happening in front of Brock and Max. She lost her head for a moment, sauntered over to the bar, and gave Mike her standard greeting. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Brock winced. Barbra Jean felt bad for him.

"Better now that you're here. Hello, darlin'." Mike pulled her into his embrace.

"I just had to see you. I left Nana's early."

"You're a sight for sore eyes, darlin'. It's so good to see you again. I missed ya all week." Reba lifted her head up and kissed him.

"You owe me a dance, Cowboy."

"Just let me get cleaned up and I'll give ya that dance, Sal. Why don't you catch up with Max until I get back?"

"Je t'aime de tout mon cœur. Tu es ma meilleure amie y amour de ma vie. Je veux passer la reste de ma vie avec vous. Dans tes bras c'est mon destin."

_Author's note- Translation- I love you with all my heart. You are my best friend and love of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. My destiny is in your arms._

"God, you're so sexy when you're speaking French." Mike bent his head down and kissed her neck, taking in her fragrance. "I've got to go before I change my mind. I've got a big surprise planned for ya. You stay here and I'll be right back." He turned to the others. "Keep an eye on my girl, Max. Good to see ya, Brock. I'm glad to see you with Barbra Jean. I'll be right back." Mike ran upstairs to their apartment.

Reba was left to talk to Max, in front of Brock and Barbra Jean. "What are you doin' here, Max?" she asked him sharply, abandoning all pretense. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes as she spoke. His electric blue eyes smoldered with fire.

Brock was watching this exchange with curiosity. Again, he was seeing a new side of Reba that he hadn't seen before. She'd had an affair and hid it rather successfully for a long time. She'd actually had casual sex without a real relationship. This wiped away the entire pretense that she'd held up against him. She could be seduced. This man had done that. She had given herself to him when she wouldn't give herself to any other man that she'd had a real relationship during the past six years. It was clear that she was fighting off any attraction that she felt. She was frustrated because she did not have a physical relationship with Mike right now. Brock had to figure out how to work that situation to his advantage and get this Max guy away from Reba. But how...

What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Max? What is Mike's surprise? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Coming up: Reba, Mike, Brock, and Barbra Jean have a night out at Holliway's. Reba and Mike sing with the band. Kim and Jenny sing with the band also. After a night of fun and too much to drink, Reba is hopeful that she will have a romantic night with Mike. She proceeds to seduce him, but wakes up to the shock of her life.

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Shout out to __Chatte578__. Thanks for your feedback! I'm glad that you liked last week's chapter update. Yes, there will be more Breba moments during this trip to Oklahoma. They will be sharing some memories together. I'm glad that you like the Cheyenne McEntire-Smith character as Reba's grandma. The things that haunt Reba's dreams will be talked about in upcoming chapters. This is also true for the bad dreams that she had during the drive to McAlester. I do hope that this chapter cleared up a lot for you about her nightmares. It's leading up to the Reba Nell Got Married story and more Breba moments. Brock will take drastic measures to stop Reba's plans. _

_Shout out to __merylandrebafan__: Thanks for your encouragement! Welcome back! I love your new story, Afraid to Sleep._

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_Shout out to Lola-2011: Please continue your Breba story, Unexpected Temptations. I hope that you post a new update soon._

_Shout out to singitanyway13: I love your new story, Twisted._

_Shout out to __ss9__: Thank you for your frequent updates to Dynasty Series 12: Blood Lines. It makes my day to read about my other favorite couple, Blake and Alexis. Your writing is so good! When you update daily, it helps my own creative imagination flow for my own story, sometimes I get writers' block and your new updates help me relax and get back to work._

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

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	40. Getting to the Hart of the matter

_Dear Readers-_

_Just a reminder, I will not be updating regularly on Sundays anymore. My life is really busy right now. I will be updating my stories as often as I can. Please be on the lookout for updates. I will not be updating on any particular day of the week right now. _

_Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. We really are so close to getting into that story. If you have any ideas for Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, or Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks._

_Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep me writing. Here it goes…_

**Now on with the story- **

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.

The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from fall 2008.

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- Reba was unprepared for how she would feel at seeing Max again, sitting casually with Mike. Max was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt like Mike was. He stood up off the bar stool upon seeing her. Max was six feet tall with an average build. He carried himself with an air of confidence. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes like Mike did. He really didn't look like he was a man in his fifties. The only thing that would give away his age would be the gray outlining his beard.

He was sporting new facial hair- the moustache and beard. She was sorry that she ever told him that she'd found that so attractive about Brock in their early years. Why in the world was he there right now with her boyfriend, Mike? What was going on? She couldn't wait to get the answers. Mike was startled to see her. "You're early. Honey, I'm not ready. I wanted to look good for you when you arrived. I've got to shower and change. I wanted things to be romantic for you when you came home."

Reba smiled, but was thrown by this exchange happening in front of Brock and Max. She lost her head for a moment, sauntered over to the bar, and gave Mike her standard greeting. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Brock winced. Barbra Jean felt bad for him.

"Better now that you're here. Hello, darlin'." Mike pulled her into his embrace.

"I just had to see you. I left Nana's early."

"You're a sight for sore eyes, darlin'. It's so good to see you again. I missed ya all week." Reba lifted her head up and kissed him.

"You owe me a dance, Cowboy."

"Just let me get cleaned up and I'll give ya that dance, Sal. Why don't you catch up with Max until I get back?"

"Je t'aime de tout mon cœur. Tu es ma meilleure amie y amour de ma vie. Je veux passer la reste de ma vie avec vous. Dans tes bras c'est mon destin."

_Author's note- Translation- I love you with all my heart. You are my best friend and love of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. My destiny is in your arms._

"God, you're so sexy when you're speaking French." Mike bent his head down and kissed her neck, taking in her fragrance. "I've got to go before I change my mind. I've got a big surprise planned for ya. You stay here and I'll be right back." He turned to the others. "Keep an eye on my girl, Max. Good to see ya, Brock. It's nice to see you with Barbra Jean. I'll be right back." Mike ran upstairs to their apartment.

Reba was left to talk to Max, in front of Brock and Barbra Jean. "What are you doin' here, Max?" she asked him sharply, abandoning all pretense. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes as she spoke. His electric blue eyes smoldered with fire.

Brock was watching this exchange with curiosity. Again, he was seeing a new side of Reba that he hadn't seen before. She'd had an affair and hid it rather successfully for a long time. She'd actually had casual sex without a real relationship. This wiped away the entire pretense that she'd held up against him. She could be seduced. This man had done that. She had given herself to him when she wouldn't give herself to any other man that she'd had a real relationship with during the past six years. It was clear that she was fighting off any attraction that she felt. She was frustrated because she did not have a physical relationship with Mike right now. Brock had to figure out how to work that situation to his advantage and get this Max guy away from Reba. But how?...

What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Max? What is Mike's surprise? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

_Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with __Reba's visit to McAlester. There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight._

_On Friday, Reba and Mike will take everyone to dinner with their parents. Everyone is gathered to show approval to Mike and Reba's relationship at Frontier's. Reba's father is giving the couple a custom built house on their family's land. Mike's father paid for the renovations to the apartment. The Holliways give the bar and the restaurant over to Mike and Reba to own jointly. Mike is avoiding Reba's efforts at lovemaking because he wants her to agree to marry him first. He wants proof of a commitment. Mike takes on a silent partner in the bar. Reba is not happy with the silent partner._

**Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.**

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

"Well Morticia, I was waiting for Gomez to leave so we could talk. Can we sit down and talk like civilized people?"

"Ha, ha very funny. Mike is sweet and wonderful. We are not dark and twisted, unlike you." Reba put her hands on her hips at this point.

"I seem to remember a good many times when dark and twisted suited you just fine." Max enjoyed sparring with her. It was like the warm-up to start things off between them each time.

"Touché, have a seat." Reba responded, pointing to a nearby table. She gestured for Brock and Barbra Jean to join them.

"You want witnesses now. I thought that you didn't want anyone to know." Max asked softly.

"They already know. These are my two best friends. I've got nothin' to hide from them."

"Okay. Have it your way. I don't mind if you don't."

They all sat down at a nearby table. Reba sat across from Max. She didn't want to sit next to him because she didn't want to give him the wrong idea. She wanted to end things cleanly and smoothly. "I hadn't heard from you for awhile, and then I got a call from Mike asking me to meet with him."

"I challenged him to work on his jealousy issues. That was his idea, not mine. I had no idea that he would call you."

"It's really nice to see you again, sweetness. I've missed you," Max replied, taking her hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "It's been too long this time."

"It's only been since March. It's October now. We've gone longer."

"Seven months in a long time. We usually see each other at least twice a year."

"Yeah, I know. You know that we don't have a real relationship. I'd like us to go back to being friends again. I love Mike and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"So you keep saying, but here we are. You two have been on and off forever so I don't expect that this time will be any different."

Reba shook her head. "But it is different. I am ready to make a lifetime commitment to him. We want to have another baby."

"I heard about that, too. I understand why you'd want to get back together with him. It's safe and comforting. You two share a history. I heard that you lost a child with him six years ago. I'm so sorry, but that doesn't mean that you owe the guy the rest of your life."

"I love him."

"And I love you." Max insisted, looking into Reba's eyes.

Reba rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't say that. Please don't use the L word. Come on, that's totally against the rules. You know how I feel about that. I care about you. We've had a lot of fun together, but that's where it ends. I just wanna be friends."

"And then when this comes crashing down, we'll see where you'll be."

"It's over. I really mean it this time. I have something to tell you.

In June, after Mike and I broke up, there was someone else. It was one time thing and we're friends. If I ever needed any more stress relief, I'd go to him before I'd come back to you, believe me."

"You really are cold. Don't you have any feelings at all? Do you know how much I've done for you? And you still treat me as if I don't matter. I took you in when you had no one else in the world."

"And I'm grateful. You helped me start a new life. You helped me build a life for my child. You were there throughout the pregnancy and after he died."

"And I thought that we were getting somewhere. You took care of my home and my children. We were getting closer every day until your husband had show up and ruin it all." Max explained, pointing to Brock.

"Don't blame him. Besides he wasn't my husband. Mike was my husband and John's father. That's why I left. I left to go back to Mike."

Max looks shocked and glanced at Brock. "When he came to the house, he told me that he was your husband and the baby's father."

Reba's mouth flew open. She turned her gaze to Brock as well. "Why would you say that?" she pondered the question for a minute before shaking it off. "Never mind, I'll talk to you about that later." She turned her eyes back to Max. "I'm sorry. I helped you when you lost Sarah. I was paid to take care of the house and the kids. I was scared, pregnant, and on my own at eighteen. We became friends. You helped me after John died. Everything was fine until you crossed the line!"

"Fine, blame me for that. I don't care. You just left in the middle of the night without a word. You left three small children who had just lost their mother and were depending on you. How could you do that to them? And when I saw you again in the bar, you acted like you didn't even know me. How could you do that to me?"

"When I woke up in your bed that night, I was ashamed. I felt like I'd cheated on Mike, okay? I didn't want to have to face you in the mornin'. I just wanted to go home to him and start all over again. I wanted to pretend like the whole thing never happened. It was selfish. I was eighteen and all I thought about was my own feelings. I didn't want Mike to find out what happened. I have three children of my own now so I know how wrong that was. I had severe postpartum depression. I wasn't myself."

"Obviously, you and Mike didn't make things work so you ended up with this guy. I know the rest of that story. How about the night we saw each other again after all those years? You said that it was a sign."

"That was alcohol and severe emotional distress. I'd had a miscarriage. I'd broken up with Mike. I'd gotten divorced and my husband had just gotten remarried that day. Mike wasn't there to comfort me and you were. Mike's comfort comes with lifetime commitment as a price tag. You didn't ask for anything. You agreed to my terms. Nobody got hurt and it was fun while it lasted."

"I'm the one who's there to get you through the toughest times of your life. And all I get is this."

Barbra Jean turned her attentions to Max. "I'm available and I can see what a great guy you are." Max returned the smile.

"Yeah, you'll like her way more than me. Men usually do. She's a lot younger than me. She's tall, blonde, and thin. She's a television news reporter and she's got a hero complex. She likes to be rescued."

Max didn't want her to think that she could be so easily replaced. "Is this Barbra Jean?"

"Yeah. She and Brock are separated. I really don't care. I'm movin' on with Mike and that's all that matters to me."

"Still got that wall up, I see. Let's see how Mike likes it when you say another man's name when he's in bed with you." Max grabbed her wrist fast before she could slap him. "Temper, temper. I thought that nothing else mattered."

Brock meanwhile was paying full attention to this little exchange between them. Barbra Jean was dying to know whose name Reba said when she was with Max. "How about a dance, handsome?" the blonde offered her hand to the wealthy stranger eagerly. She put a slow song on the jukebox and moved into his arms.

Reba was eyeing the pair while Brock was watching her. "Jealous?" he asked.

"Not a chance. I wonder if she'll still be interested in him when she finds out that he's twenty years older than her. I'll save you the trouble of doing the math. He's fifty-four. And I know that you're disappointed in me. I told ya. I'm not good at casual sex. I don't like complications and confrontations."

"Just so we're clear, I still love ya, tarnished halo and all." Brock looked at her with his usual boyish grin.

"Okay, but I'm still way better than you. I wasn't going for a cheap thrill in an x-ray room. I was drunk out of my mind and he found me that way. I was just fortunate enough to run into him. That's how the affair got started."

Barbra Jean couldn't keep from asking the question on her mind any longer. "Whose name did Reba say when she was in bed with you? I'm her best friend and I just have to know."

"Since she says that it doesn't matter anymore, I'll tell ya, but don't tell anyone else. I don't really wanna embarrass or hurt Reba in any way," Max responded.

Barbra Jean nestled herself into the safety of his arms. "I would never do anything to hurt Reba so you can tell me."

"Aren't you married to Brock?"

"I was, but not anymore. We're over."

"And Reba's still with Mike? That's interesting," he paused. Barbra Jean lifted her head to look at him. Max looked into her eyes and decided that she truly was someone that Reba could trust. "It was Brock's name. She said his name every time she was with me. That was something that I always had to deal with. I should've known that it would've never really lasted. She never even left her eyes open because she wasn't truly with me."

Barbra Jean understood where Max was coming from. She'd always felt like Brock was never truly with her either.

Just then, Mike came down the stairs. He was dressed in a suit and carrying a single red rose. "For you, darlin'." He offered her a chair to sit down in and then he became to sing to her. He sang 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.

**You're just too good to be true.**  
**Can't keep my eyes off you.**  
**You feel like heaven to touch.**  
**I wanna hold you so much.**  
**At long last love has arrived**  
**And I thank God I'm alive.**  
**You're just too good to be true.**  
**Can't take my eyes off you.**

**Pardon the way that I stare.**  
**There's nothing else to compare.**  
**The sight of you makes me weak.**  
**There are no words left to speak,**  
**But if you feel like I feel,**  
**Please let me know that it's real.**  
**You're just too good to be true.**  
**Can't take my eyes off you.**

**I love you, baby,**  
**And if it's quite alright,**  
**I need you, baby,**  
**To warm the lonely nights.**  
**I love you, baby.**  
**Trust in me when I say:**  
**Oh, pretty baby,**  
**Don't bring me down, I pray.**  
**Oh pretty baby,**  
**Now that I found you, stay**  
**And let me love you, baby.**  
**Let me love you.**

**You're just too good to be true.**  
**Can't keep my eyes off of you.**  
**You feel like heaven to touch.**  
**I wanna hold you so much.**  
**At long last love has arrived**  
**And I thank God I'm alive.**  
**You're just too good to be true.**  
**Can't take my eyes off of you.**

**I love you baby,**  
**And if it's quite alright,**  
**I need you, baby,**  
**To warm the lonely nights.**  
**I love you, baby.**  
**Trust in me when I say:**  
**Oh, pretty baby,**  
**Don't bring me down, I pray.**  
**Oh pretty baby,**  
**Now that I found you, stay**  
**And let me love you, baby.**  
**Let me love you...**

Paige and Michael arrived just as Mike was getting down on one knee. He pulled out a box from the pocket of his suit coat. Reba began to panic despite the spell. She wasn't ready to give Mike an answer to his proposal yet. She quickly rose up on her feet from the chair. "I'm sorry. I'm not ready. I can't do this just yet." She ran past Mike and out the front door of the bar. Once outside, she noticed that it began to rain. Mike chased after Reba outside. That's when Reba saw her old car, a 1979 pink VW bug convertible. Reba ran to her car. She struggled to get the car door open.

"Did you leave the keys locked inside your car again, honey?" Mike asked, jokingly. Reba looked back to see Mike standing in front of the car. "I'm not letting you leave like this," Mike stated firmly.

Reba's eyes were filled with tears. "That isn't funny. Now give me the key so I can leave now or you can keep standing there so I can run you over once I get in this car!" Reba hissed at him.

"Not until you listen to me!" he shouted back.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I wanted to tell you that I love you," he said.

"I'm still mad!" Reba insisted.

"Fine, have it your way." Mike shouted back at her. Mike scooped Reba up over his shoulder and then he carried her back into the bar. He sat her back down in the chair. "Just like old times, ain't it? You're gonna listen to me and then you can take off if you want to."

Reba nodded silently. She waited to hear what he was going to say next. "Open the box, honey." Mike handed her the box. She opened it to find two keys on a heart keychain. "One of those is the key to your car and the other one is for the apartment upstairs." Mike had restored her beloved car to working order. She felt so ashamed that he put so much work into making her happy when all she did was get scared and run off on him again.

"I love you so much that it scares me. I hate how much I love you. I spent a long time telling you that I didn't love you anymore or that I hated you. I'm sorry that I did that because I've always loved you, but the word hate always comes flying out of my mouth every time we get into a fight. It's funny because I wrote you a poem about this. I worked on it all week."

"You wrote me a poem?" he asked softly. Reba nodded. Mike silently anticipated Reba's poem.

_Author's note: The original poem was called Katarina's poem. I adapted it to fit Reba._

**I hate the way you talk to me  
and the way you cut your hair  
I hate the way you drive  
I hate it when you stare  
I hate your stupid pickup truck  
and the way you read my mind  
I hate you so much it makes me sick  
it even makes me rhyme  
I hate the way you're always right  
I hate it when you lie  
I hate it when you make me laugh  
even worse when you make me cry  
I hate it when you're not around  
and when you don't call  
but mostly I hate it that I don't hate you  
not even close,  
not a little bit,  
not even at all.**

Reba's voice started to break near the end. A tear escaped both of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Mike pulled her into his arms. He pulled her over to the jukebox. He pressed a button and pulled her into a dance to a Beach Boys song called 'Don't Worry Baby'.

**Well it's been building up inside of me**  
**For oh I don't know how long**  
**I don't know why**  
**But I keep thinking**  
**Something's bound to go wrong**

**But she looks in my eyes**  
**And makes me realize**  
**When she says "Don't worry baby"**  
**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**  
**Everything will turn out alright**

**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**

**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**

**Everything will turn out alright**

**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**  
**Don't worry baby**

The song ended and Mike put his finger under Reba's chin and lifted it up so he could look her right in the eye. "That was the song that played on the jukebox on the night that you came back from Ada. I told you that night that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Now, do you wanna come upstairs and see your surprise?"

Reba nodded. She captured his lips fiercely. "I should be furious with you," she said after the kiss.

"Welcome home, honey." Mike said with a smirk.

"You seem pretty sure of yourself. You're lucky I'm so sentimental."

Mike picked Reba up and carried her bridal style up the stairs to the apartment. He opened the door and carried her over the threshold of the doorway before setting her down on her feet. Her hands flew up to her mouth in surprise and she gasped. The apartment was completely remodeled. It looked completely different. It was decorated exactly as Reba had always wanted. Mike ordered all new furniture and appliances. The kitchen had a stove with glass cook top and a refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser.

The living room had two sleeper sofas, two recliners, and a 60 inch plasma screen TV. Reba was pretty sure that the TV was for Mike's benefit as well as Reba's. He wanted to watch football on a big screen. Reba walked around and checked out all the rooms. Everyone else followed her. She stopped in their bedroom. It was their old bed and bedroom set. It was filled with pink roses. There were pink rose petals on the bed.

Reba turned to Mike. "This is so wonderful!" She pressed her lips to his as gently as a whisper. "Thank you. I love it."

"We have two more nights with our old bedroom set. The new furniture comes on Saturday." Mike explained.

Reba continued into the adjoining bathroom. There were his and hers sinks. The bathroom was remodeled with a standingshower and a separate whirlpool bathtub. There was a connecting walk-in closet full of their clothing past the bathroom. Reba jumped into Mike's arms and showered him with kisses. "How do you always know exactly what I want? This is just perfect. It's the way that I've always wanted it to be. This is the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me."

That's when she realized that Brock was in the room and she suddenly felt very conflicted. Everything had a price. She'd paid dearly to get to this point in time. She wanted to be happy and she was, but she also felt sad for Brock. His life was going downhill while hers was working out so well. Then she remembered the baby. It didn't cut as deep as it usually did, but she realized that for the first time in years she was putting herself and her own needs first. She couldn't help but feel like she was being selfish.

She didn't want Mike to think that she wasn't happy with all the work that he did for her. She just needed some air and some time to get these negative thoughts out of her head. She grabbed the keys, kissed his cheek, and ran out the door. She was eager to take her car for a spin. She decided that a drive would do her some good. She jumped into the car. She was shocked when Brock got into the passenger seat. "Where do you think that you're goin'?" she asked.

"Are you kiddin' me? I'm your best friend and we're gonna take your new wheels for a spin." Brock smiled mischievously and put his arm around her.

Reba drove just outside of McAlester to Memory Gardens Memorial Park Cemetery after stopping to buy a bouquet of flowers from Foster's Flowers. It was a beautiful place. She drove past the pond to see the ducks swimming. The leaves on the trees were changing their colors. Today was the day that she would be able to come here and not feel the ache in her heart that had been there for the past twenty-four years. She stopped the car and opened her door to get out.

Brock grabbed her arm. "Where do you think that you're goin', honey?"

"I'm here to be with my son. You can stay in the car. I'll be back in few minutes."

Brock looked Reba square in the eye. "Not a chance, Sunshine. I'm comin' with you whether you like it or not."

Reba nodded and accepted the fact that he was coming with her. It was unlike her to give in without some kind of argument, but right now she couldn't find it in her heart to be so negative with him. He was her best friend and she wanted to lean on him. She'd been strong for so long that she wanted someone else to gather strength from for a change. She walked over to the spot and looked at the headstone that read John Christopher McKinney, Beloved son, Died too soon. Reba stood there, trying not to let the tears in her eyes fall. Brock came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, honey. I'm here for you. You don't always have to be strong. It's okay to need someone every once in a while."

"I haven't been here in years. The last time that I was here I let the drama keep me from comin' here. Does that make me a bad mother?"

"No, of course, it doesn't."

"Mike is a wonderful father. He's here every year on our anniversary and John's birthday. I used to come up here with him. But since things got complicated between Mike and me, I haven't been here like I should. Do you think that he thinks that I forgot about him?"

Brock turned her around to face him. "Reba, life goes on. We live in Houston. You have children and grandchildren who need you every day. It's not that you forgot about him. It's just that we live so far away. You don't have to be here to remember him. His memory lives in your heart so he's with you wherever you go. You think about him every day, don'tcha?"

Reba nodded. She was grateful for the support. She was always much harder on herself than she should be. It was because of all the responsibility that she took on at home. She always felt like she had the world on her shoulders because she was a single mother raising two kids, a pair of married teenagers, and grandchildren. She knew that she was crazy to want to add to that, but she deserved it. She deserved to be selfish for once in her life. She hated that the divorce took away the support she needed from Brock.

But if she was honest with herself, Brock hadn't really been around to offer his support to her towards the end of their marriage. Mike was her support and her friend all those years. He was the one that she turned to with her problems until they decided to get involved again. Was that what she really wanted? She missed having that support from Mike also. Maybe she was the one with the problem. Communication in a relationship was definitely not her strong suit unless she was yelling during an argument. She needed to work on letting the man in her life understand and support her with her real-life problems.

She couldn't keep hiding behind the iron mask that made her appear to be strong. She knew that a breakdown would be coming and she couldn't afford another one. "You're right, Brock." Reba admitted.

"Mark this day on the calendar. Reba said that I was right!" Brock announced loudly. He put his fist in the air as a sign of victory.

Reba laughed. "Just because you're right now doesn't mean much. I'm still way more right about things than you are most of the time."

"Ha ha, nobody likes a sore loser, Red."

Reba stuck her tongue out at Brock before moving back to focus on her son. She remembered the flowers in her hands. The bouquet was a mix of yellow daisy chrysanthemums, purple asters and hot pink and orange carnations called the Make a Wish bouquet. She put the flowers in her hands down on the grave and said a prayer. When she turned around, she saw Brock crying. "What's the matter? Are you cryin'?"

"You're not the only one who loved him, Reba." Brock said, as he wiped away the tears. His voice was cracking from the strain of the deep emotion that he felt at that moment.

"I had no idea that you felt that way, Brock. Thank you, but he was my son."

"I know that. You say that over and over again. You say it as if you're the only one who had the right to love him and mourn him. You've used his death as an excuse to claim exclusive possession over his memory," Brock challenged in a stern tone.

"That's because I carried him inside me for seven months. Those were seven months when I was alone and struggling to provide a life for him. I talked to him every day. I read to him and sang to him. I made plans for a new life for both of us. I was his mother," Reba insisted. Her voice was rising because she was getting defensive.

"Well, I wanted to be his father, but you wouldn't let me. I was there when he was born. I was there for the two days that he lived on this Earth and I was there when he died. I had plans, too. Don't you think that I had plans for a life with the both of you as soon as you finally agreed to marry me in Ada? Don't you think that I should mourn that life too? I have that right! Mike took that right away from me on the day that John was born. I have every right to love him as much I love our other children. What about my son? Don't you love Henry?"

"I tried to keep my distance, but I couldn't. These last few months have allowed me time to really get to know him. I do love him because he is a part of Cheyenne, Kyra, Jake, and you. He is an important part of our family. I can't believe that you'd ask me that, but I guess I can see why." Reba put her arms around his neck and moved to hug him. "I guess I love your son as much as you love mine. I'm sorry, Brock."

Brock wrapped his arms around Reba's waist. His eyes were still shedding tears. The last time she comforted him when he'd been this upset was when he'd started therapy and admitted his fault in their breakup. "I wish that we could stay this way forever. Can't we just keep our family the way it is?"

Reba chuckled and pulled back to look at him. "I didn't get any say when we added Barbra Jean to our family. So, why should you get a say in who I add to this family?"

"Okay, Red. Come here. I wanna take you somewhere," Brock grabbed her hand and led her to her car. He grabbed the keys out of her hand and climbed into the drivers' seat. The move was so unexpected that Reba was too shocked to do anything other than sit down in the passenger seat and see what Brock had in mind.

He didn't give her any indication as to where their destination would be. Reba turned on the radio. A song by Faith Hill called Stealing Kisses was playing. Reba immediately identified with the lyrics and started to sing along with the song on the radio.

**"It's late enough,**  
**all you kids should be home."**  
**The policeman says**  
**as he takes your beer for his own.**  
**You remember,**  
**wondering what his wife thought**  
**about his occupation**  
**He knows that you were just chasing a dream**  
**to the town line and back and over again**  
**So he winks at you girls**  
**and tells you all "I'll see you later"**

**I was stealing kisses from a boy**  
**now I'm begging affection from a man**  
**in my house dress,**  
**don't you know who I am,**  
**don't you know who I am.**  
**Standing in your kitchen.**

**It's late enough,**  
**your husband's dinner is cold,**  
**so you wrap it up and leave it for him on the stove.**  
**It's probably the traffic again.**  
**Another important meeting.**  
**You haven't talked to an adult all day,**  
**'cept for your neighbor who drives you crazy.**  
**When he finally gets in,**  
**he's sure not in the mood for talkin'.**

**I was stealing kisses from a boy**  
**now I'm begging affection from a man**  
**in my house dress,**  
**don't you know who I am,**  
**don't you know who I am.**  
**I'm standing in your kitchen.**

**And hours become days,**  
**days become years.**  
**And you could burn down this town**  
**if they made matches from fear.**  
**Cause you're no worse off than anybody else.**  
**Hey, don't you even know,**  
**don't you even know yourself?**

**So you're standing outside your high school doors.**  
**The ones you walked through 20 years before,**  
**and you whisper to all the girls:**  
**"run, run, oh, run"**

**I was stealing kisses from a boy**  
**now I'm begging affection from a man**  
**in my house dress,**  
**don't you know who I am,**  
**don't you know who I am.**  
**Take a look at who I am**  
**Take a look at who I am.**  
**I'm stealing kisses.**  
**Stealing kisses.**

The song ended and Reba realized that Brock was listening to the lyrics she sang. His right arm was wrapped firmly around her as he drove. She relaxed against him, wondering where in the world he was taking her. The car stopped and Reba was shocked to realize that they were at Lake McAlester. They got out of the car and Brock led her down the path to the beach. This was when it got awkward between them. They walked along the beach together side by side, not touching or talking when Reba finally broke the silence.

"Why did you bring me here, Brock?" she asked, still not looking in his direction.

"So many emotions and memories to experience at once. I thought that you might need a break."

"So you bring me here? There are memories here, too." Reba responded.

Brock simply shrugged, without a word. Reba caught that shrug. She eyed him suspiciously. "So you bring me here to the place where we conceived Cheyenne? That night was a lot like this one."

Brock smiled widely. "Yeah, that was some night, except we didn't have dinner with your grandmother and we didn't go to Holliway's."

Reba smiled back at him without a reply. She was lost in the memory of that night. It was interesting that they ended up at the cemetery and then at the beach just like that night. Brock was as tender with her at the cemetery as he'd been that night, holding her while she said a prayer and shed some tears. They'd brought flowers to the baby's grave. Brock held her in his arms while she cried. She never bothered to look up as her tears soaked into his shirt. It was then that Reba wondered if Brock had cried that night at the cemetery, too.

She never looked up at him to see. It would've never occurred to her to look up to find out. She was sad because she'd gone through twenty-four years of grief alone, never thinking that she had anybody to share it with when it seemed that Brock loved and mourned the baby's loss as well. They had so many things to share in common and now this would be one of them. Reba found it odd that it had taken twenty-four years to find this out. She figured that it was because she'd started to lock away the baby's memory in her heart from the day that they got married. They never really spoke about him again during all their years of marriage together. They put all of their focus into Cheyenne, and later Kyra and Jake. Reba remembered Kyra and her hostility towards Cheyenne during most of their lives.

**Flashback- It was the Christmas after Elizabeth was born. They'd been admired the Christmas tree that Van bought.**

"**Oh, this is so special. It's our first Christmas with Elizabeth." Cheyenne remarked.**

"**Oh, I remembered our first Christmas with you, Cheyenne. You're the reason we started all of our Christmas traditions." Reba said, hugging Cheyenne. **

"**Ooh, another Cheyenne is great story. My favorite is how she makes the sun come up in the morning." Kyra remarked sarcastically.**

"**Kyra's right, Mom. You should tell a nice story about her," Cheyenne responded, then looked Kyra up and down. "Oh, right." Cheyenne then turned to walk to Van's side by the tree. **

**Reba hugged Kyra. "One of the hardest things that I ever did was to tell my mama that we weren't goin' to her house for Christmas."**

**Reba put an arm around each of her daughters. "But waking up and sharing the moment together, it really felt right. You were the start of our little family." Reba thought about how wonderful that first Christmas was because they were celebrating the fact that they had a healthy happy baby girl to shower with all the motherly love and affection that she'd kept inside since John died. **

"**Cheyenne is great, everybody. What an unexpected twist." Kyra replied and then walked away out of Reba's embrace.**

Reba thought about that story. The reason why Reba didn't want to come back to McAlester for Christmas was to avoid seeing Mike. She didn't wanna shove her happiness with Brock in his face. That was one of the few times that she missed celebrating Christmas with Paige and Barbara Ann. She made up for it in all of the years since. If she was to be honest with herself, she really didn't wanna see Mike happily married to Kim, who was expecting their first child together that year. She needed to sit down and have a long talk with Kyra. She put so much importance on Cheyenne's life because John died that she made Kyra feel insignificant by comparison. That made Reba sad. She realized that she put too much of herself into Cheyenne and Paige, and not enough of herself into Kyra and Jake. Reba resolved to correct that situation immediately.

**She became lost in her memories again. She thought about how she felt to lose her babies that Christmas because they were growing up. Van and Cheyenne wanted a special Christmas of their own. Kyra wanted to celebrate Christmas with her friends. Jake wanted to spend Christmas with Brock, Barbra Jean, and Henry. She found herself alone without anybody to celebrate the holiday with. It made her sad. She remembered that she was supposed to have a little one of her own crawling around the house. **

**That would have been her baby's first Christmas, too. She remembered how mad she got when Brock announced that Jake would be staying with him for Christmas. She remembered how Jake wanted to spend Christmas with his new baby brother. She remembered how angry she got at Brock. She felt like she did the right thing in not telling him about the baby. It would be the one thing that he couldn't take from her. She remembered how sad she was all evening that night. She knew that she was supposed to be spending Christmas with Mike and the new baby. **

**She was supposed to have a new family of her own. She hated Brock so much that night. He ruined their Christmas traditions. He got Jake the bike that they'd planned to give him together when he turned eight. She'd lost so much and he was happily living his life oblivious to her pain. She really hated Barbra Jean so much back then. She was the one who stole Reba's life away from her. Why did she have to still be in love with this man? **

**She wanted to move on and find her own happiness and instead was wallowing in her misery. The lowest point was when she took her aggression out by attacking the Christmas tree. That's what led her to spend the evening helping out at the homeless shelter. She had almost considered getting on a plane and going home to McAlester. The man at the homeless shelter reminded her of the magic of Christmas. She had to believe that her life held some magic in it somehow. She'd given up on believing in magic years ago, but she'd regretted that decision on that night. If she could still do magic, then she'd still have her husband and their family together and whole again. **

**Ah, magic. She smiled at the thought. Was it magic or Santa that made her Christmas all right again? Perhaps a little bit of both. Her family came home to spend Christmas with her. Her sweet Kyra didn't want her mom to be alone for Christmas. Cheyenne and Van returned home with Elizabeth and Brock brought Jake home to be with Reba. **

**The storm forced Brock and Barbra Jean to spend the night at Reba's house. Reba watched as Brock helped the kids decorate the Christmas tree. The kids were so happy to have their father at home. Secretly, she was glad to be able to have him in their home for Christmas one more time. The nicest part was waking up to spend time with Brock alone in the kitchen. The power was out and they were talking about old times over cups of eggnog. It wasn't much, but it was romantic to her especially with the candles to set the mood. The only thing that would've made it more perfect would be mistletoe, but she didn't put any up around the house that year.**

**Brock asked, "Do you think that they remember it? I mean, do you think that they remember it as good?" He had such happy memories of Christmas when they were a family. He'd hoped that the divorce didn't spoil those memories for the kids.**

**Reba smiled at him. "Yeah, I really do." That's when the lights came back on. They blew out the candles. They shared a moment right then when they looked into each other's eyes. In that moment, Reba knew that Brock still loved her. That's when it didn't bother her anymore that she wasn't able to move on with a new life and a new family. She didn't want one. **

**She was happy with what she had. The love that she had for Brock would carry her through the hard times. She didn't hate him like she thought that she did. She was just mad at herself that day because she loved him so much and was mad that he still had the power to hurt her. That Christmas was every bit as magical as the ones she'd had when she was a child. Jake's new bike appeared by the Christmas tree by magic. Whether it was Santa or Nana, she didn't know. At first, she thought that Brock did it. The storm was so bad outside that it was impossible. What was she supposed to do, tell Brock that the bike really did appear by magic? What she didn't know was that Elizabeth was part of the magic. She also didn't know was that it wouldn't be the last time that she and Brock slept under the same roof. Flashback ended.**

It was over now. She'd dragged her feelings around for six years and she couldn't do it anymore. This was the last Christmas that they'd share under the same roof as a family. She was going to move on with Mike. She had to. It was time. She decided that she needed closure to do it.

Brock was watched Reba as she thought about those memories. "You're deep in thought. Whatcha thinkin' about?"

Reba chose her answer carefully. "Our first Christmas with Elizabeth."

Brock smiled. "I remember that night. We got to spend Christmas all together. It was nice waking up Christmas morning as a family." They stopped walking. Brock sat down on the sand and patted the spot next to him for Reba sit down as well. "Do you know what I was thinkin' about?" Reba shook her head. "I was thinking about the night that we conceived Cheyenne."

Reba gulped. Why did he have to bring that up? Brock put his arm around Reba again and she shivered from the contact. "I guess you and I do have memories here too. It's not unusual. Look, we had life together for eighteen years. There are a lot of memories between us and not all of them are bad."

"The thing is that we're here and I'm dealing with a lot of memories-having John, creating Cheyenne, falling in love, and getting married. All of that happened here in Oklahoma. I know that you ran here as soon as you found out that you were pregnant the last time. You feel safe here and I understand that. Mike makes you feel safe. I don't like it, but it's my fault. We would still be together if you felt safe with me. You'd still feel safe with me if I hadn't gotten another woman pregnant. I'm sorry about that. I want to make you feel safe again. I want you to feel safe enough to tell me everything. I want to talk about the other baby that we lost."

"Okay. What do you want to know?" Reba was determined not to fall apart in front of him. This was a delicate subject for her.

"When did you find out that you were pregnant?"

"A few days before that family therapy session when you told me that Barbra Jean was pregnant. The pregnancy test in the trash can was mine. It was just a coincidence that Cheyenne was pregnant too."

"And you never thought about tellin' me?" Brock looked her in the eye, hoping to get some insight into her actions.

"Sure I did. I wanted to at Cheyenne's wedding. I was ready to when you took me into your arms, but then Barbra Jean showed up."

"Oh honey, I'm really sorry about that." Brock tried to hug her.

"No! It's not okay. You let her do whatever she wanted. You made me look like a fool. You treated her like part of our family. She wasn't part of the family, Brock. I could've dealt with it someday, but not then."

Brock saw the hurt in her eyes. It hurt him to know that he caused her so much pain. "You hurt me too. You ran to Mike Holliway, of all people. It was like you couldn't wait to get me out of the way so you could be with him again."

"If that was true, then why has it taken six years for us to get together?"

"The ironic thing is that I got the vasectomy about a week before Cheyenne told us that she was pregnant. If I had waited, then you and I wouldn't have had that fight over the phone."

"Yeah, but I was living in a dream world for awhile being here with Mike, with him wanting to marry me and take care of me and the baby. He said everything that I ever wanted to hear when I got pregnant with John. Then you came back into the picture with just a phone call. I wanted to tell you what was goin' on, but you didn't want to have another child with me so I kept my mouth shut."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry that I said that. I just didn't wanna lie to ya. I didn't want ya to think that we could have another baby when I knew that we couldn't because of the vasectomy. I didn't think that you could already be pregnant."

"Because you never pay attention! It was always about you-your wants and your needs. You didn't bother to pay attention to me, especially not towards the end."

"If I could take it back, then I would! I didn't mean that I didn't want a child that was already inside of you, our child. I have changed! I pay attention now. I got the vasectomy reversed and in Vegas, of all places. If that's not a sign, then I don't know what is. You helped me come to that decision. I want another baby and you want another baby. We could do that together."

"Because you think that I really want to be the other woman to the other woman! What is wrong with you? What sort of woman do you think that I am?" Reba's tone became defensive.

"I don't know. There's a lot about you that I don't know. You claimed to be against casual sex because it went against your beliefs, but now I find out that you've been havin' an affair for the last five years."

"I would've moved on by now with Mike, but he wanted to marry me first. He wouldn't marry me until he was sure that I was over you. Max offered me comfort that I couldn't get anywhere else. You drove me to it. It started the day that you married BJ. All those times that I had to help you with your marriage were too much. I had to find a way to deal with it and I did. Do you think that I liked having to talk to you about your sex life with her? You want to blame me for what I did, then fine; but you should think about how I felt for a change. You kissed her right in front of me in our house. Did you ever think about how that made me feel? And those divorce dates! You were makin' out with her all over Houston. She'd tell me about it the next day. Max cares about me. He doesn't ask questions and he drops everything at the drop of a hat when I need him. Look, there was no cuddling afterwards, no promises, no commitments, no morning after, and no love talk. It was just sex. I needed it. It helped with my stress level. If I didn't have Max, I'd have had another heart attack long ago."

"You lied to me about that, too. You were dying and you just disappeared without a word."

"I didn't plan on losing the baby and having a heart attack! It happened the next morning after our talk on the phone. I lost our baby right there on the floor. My heart stopped twice. The second time it was stopped for four minutes. They didn't think that I would make it. I was in a coma for days. I called you as soon as I was able to. I came home right after I was released from the hospital. I was very depressed. I was on medication, but you didn't notice that anything was wrong. You went back to BJ."

"After you told me to! Honey, I'm sorry that I didn't notice that anything was wrong. I was wrong not to pay attention to you. I heard what you said to Barbra Jean back in June. You said that I only got married because of a pregnancy. I married you because I loved you. You are the only woman that I ever married for love. That should count for somethin'. I want us to have more children. I want to grow old with my wife, the only one who ever counted."

"Are you talkin' about me? I wasn't sure because you already have a wife. We're not married anymore. As far as Vegas is concerned, you go there to gamble and go to strip clubs. Vegas is not special to you like it is to me. I've seen a lot of signs lately and they're all pointin' me towards Mike. He came after me this time. Mike will be the first one to tell you that I tend to run from my feelings and from commitment. You never came after me. You let me go and I saw that as a sign that we're over. Relationships are hard work. You and I are not good at working things out. Please just do what you were supposed to do in the first place and let this happen. Let me find my own happiness. I am happy with Mike. I love him."

Brock took a hold of both of her arms. "But you love me too!" His lips came crashing down on hers. He laid her down on the sand, rolling his body on top of hers. His hands were moving through the waves of her soft red hair. He ran his hands along the sides of her face before moving down her body. "Lord knows how much I love you. I've loved you since the moment we first met."

Reba wasn't thinking, just reacting. When her brain finally caught up to what her heart and the rest of her body was feeling, she pulled back. He said that he'd loved her since the night that they met at Mike's party. That was the night that she first told Mike that she loved him and the night that they'd almost made love. Mike was at home waiting for her. She'd wasted enough time on a man who couldn't show her that he really loved her when push came to shove. She pushed Brock off of her. "What in the heck do you think that you're doin'? I didn't come here to do this. I'm not interested in recreating the night that we made Cheyenne. I'm goin' home. Are you comin?" Reba said, standing up and brushing the sand off of her.

"Fine, I'll take you back to Mike, but that is not your home." Brock said sternly as he looked into her eyes once more.

They got back to the apartment over Holliway's. Max was still there. Mike explained to Reba that Max was his new business partner in both of the Holliway family businesses. Reba had good ideas to improve the business. Mike wanted to make those changes and it would be like killing two birds with one stone, so to speak, because it would be good for his relationship with Reba and increase revenue. Mike didn't have the money to incorporate the changes on his own so he had to get a business partner fast. After meeting Max, he decided that he was a man who would bring new capital and new perspective to how the businesses were ran. He felt that Max wasn't a threat to his relationship with Reba.

Max seemed to also have Reba's best interests at heart so he could be trusted to help Reba and Mike make the family business grow. Reba wasn't happy with this arrangement. She wanted to close the door on her relationship with Max, who didn't seem ready to let her go yet. She didn't want Mike to find out the whole ugly truth about her and Max. All she could do was smile and accept the arrangement without question. She was thrilled that Mike was putting her ideas into place, but worried about what the future consequences might be from taking money from Max. Reba looked forward to spending the rest of the night with Mike alone, but that didn't seem to work out in their favor. Reba and Mike sat down to play poker with Barbra Jean, Max, Brock, and Kim.

Reba felt a renewed energy between her and Mike. They exchanged little looks and touches whenever possible. They were careful not to be too affectionate around their guests. Reba was concerned about being openly affectionate with Mike in front of Brock and Kim. It was strange how the past six years changed her outlook on things. She no longer wanted to flaunt the relationship in front of their exes. Max went home after the poker game. Paige and Jenny arrived at the apartment.

Mike explained that he invited Brock and Barbra Jean to stay the weekend with them in the apartment. Barbra Jean excitedly told Reba that she planned to surprise Reba with an old-fashioned sleepover for the ladies. Barbra Jean had rented The Notebook, Sweet Home Alabama, and Runaway Bride. Paige popped the popcorn and told Reba how happy she was to bond with everyone so they could really become a family. Reba wasn't as thrilled with the idea, but put on a happy face for Barbra Jean and Paige. She was disappointed about not spending a romantic night alone with Mike. She knew that he was trying hard to prove himself to Reba by showing her that he was working on his jealousy and what better way than to invite Brock to stay with them in the apartment for the weekend. Reba snuck away during part of the movie to be with Mike downstairs in the bar.

_Author's note: This next part is inspired by watching Jennifer Grey's performance on Dancing with the Stars. She danced so beautifully and it seemed like she hadn't lost any of the talent or skills that she learned while filming Dirty Dancing almost twenty-five years before. I felt that I could use that idea that the talent and skill remains years later for Reba Hart. Plus, I also think that it would be so cool if Reba was on Dancing with the Stars!_

She put on her soundtrack CD from the movie, Dirty Dancing. She was inspired to dance with him the way that she used to. She hoped that it hadn't been too long that they'd be out of rhythm with each other. She remembered how they used to be so in tune with each other that they could try even difficult dance steps without much difficulty. It had been years since she'd danced like that. She'd always loved the movie, Dirty Dancing. It reminded her of all the times that she danced with Mike when they were younger. She watched those dancing shows on TV, especially Dancing with the Stars and thought that she and Mike were every bit as good as the dancers on TV.

They'd been dancing together for years before her life began in Houston. She remembered how she sat down with the kids to watch Dancing with the Stars and remarked how she could dance like that if she tried. The kids just laughed off her comment. She couldn't wait to show Kyra, Van, and Cheyenne what a good dancer she was when they came to Holliway's on Friday. Good Lord, Mike was such a good dancer. She remembered how sparks flew whenever they danced together. She was going to need a cold shower after all that touching. Brock and Barbra Jean came down the stairs towards the bar. They stopped when they saw Reba and Mike dancing.

They remained hidden in the shadows on the stairs watching the pair. Barbra Jean started whispering to Brock. "Wow, I wish that Mike could show me how to dance like that. Reba is really lucky. They look like they are having fun."

"Barbra Jean, if you remember, I wanted to become a professional dancer when I was younger. I could dance like that if I wanted to."

"Well, do you want to now? That seems to be something that he can do to woo Reba and it's workin'. What can you do?" Barbra Jean pointed out.

"We've been takin' the dance classes so I have practiced some of the more complicated dance steps. I think that I can match him evenly in dancing skills." Brock responded.

"That's not enough. He's looking into her eyes and touching her body as they dance. It's so intimate. He's romancing the socks off of her without even takin' her to bed tonight. It's like somethin' out of a romantic movie."

"You don't have to rub that in, Barbra Jean. I feel bad enough as it is."

"No, I mean that dancing is an important part of wooing Reba, so how do we get you in a situation where you dance with her?" Brock shrugged and Barbra Jean came up with an idea.

"You could always watch some of those romantic movies to get a few tips, but you could also try dancing with me. You're supposed to be working things out with me, at least that's what you want Reba to think. It might even make her jealous when she sees us together. Later, we could switch partners. You would be dancin' with Reba and I could be dancin' with Tall Dark and Handsome over there. That way, we could both get what we want. Besides, it might even make her uncomfortable to be dancin' so closely with Mike in front of you. You want to throw her off guard. If she puts her defenses down, then you've got a good chance. Max told me a secret about Reba."

"What was it?"

"Forget I said anything. I don't wanna hurt my best friend."

"You're not hurtin' her. You're helpin' her. Come on, BJ. Tell me."

"He said that Reba said your name every time they were in bed together!" Barbra Jean blurted out, still whispering so they could continue spying on Reba. She covered her mouth with her hand. She was mad at herself for not keeping a tighter rein on the blurting. Brock smiled proudly. He knew that he still had a chance with Reba. That gave him all the hope and courage that he needed for now.

Brock needed a fresh game plan for wooing Reba. Barbra Jean's suggestions made sense and that was a new development in itself. Barbra Jean was giving him insight into romancing a woman. If she'd told him about things like this when they were married, then maybe he wouldn't have been such an awful husband to her. It occurred to him that women like Reba and Barbra Jean expect men to know what they want without being told. This was something that Mike seemed to understand. He was doing well in winning Reba over, but Brock figured that the game was only half over and there was still time for him to win back the love of his life. He just had to come up with a strategy that would work...

What will Brock try in wooing Reba? What will happen between Reba and Max now that Brock and Barbra Jean are staying in the apartment with them all weekend? What will Max do next? Who will Brock turn to for advice to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike now that she's figured out how to lure him away so they can be alone? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Coming up: Reba, Mike, Brock, and Barbra Jean have a night out at Holliway's. Reba and Mike sing with the band. Kim and Jenny sing with the band also. After a night of fun and too much to drink, Reba is hopeful that she will have a romantic night with Mike. She proceeds to seduce him, but wakes up to the shock of her life.

_There is a new poll question this week on my FF profile. __Should Brock keep spying on Reba? Please let me know what you think. Thanks._

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_I had a great week, very inspiring. Reba concert tickets are very affordable for her latest tour. I managed to get a ticket for her concert in Kansas City. I'm very happy. I got a ticket for only $25.00. I also got to chat with Melissa Peterman on twitter last week. I couldn't believe that she responded to my tweets. We were talking about Patrick Fabian and Ed Asner. I hope that she guest stars on Ed Asner's new CMT show, Average Joe. Ed Asner and Tom Arnold play father and son. It ought to be really funny._

_Shout out to __Chatte578__. Thanks for your feedback! Max isn't much competition with Brock, so don't worry. Reba doesn't want Max anymore. Reba didn't start the affair with Max until Brock married Barbra Jean. I hope that you'll be happy with this chapter and the next one. Spoiler: Reba isn't going to sleep with Max again. Reba isn't going to bed with Max on the night when she drinks too much, but she will not wake up alone from her drunken crazy night. This chapter revealed Mike's big surprise for Reba. Coming up, Brock will do something big to woo Reba. I will be updating Drop Dead Hero soon. _

_Shout out to __RMandMSFan__: Thanks for your encouragement! I really appreciate your terrific review! Thank you for your kind words. I'm addicted to writing this story so I'm glad that there are readers out there who are addicted to reading it. There are many more Breba moments coming up soon. _

_Shout out to __iNxC0NCERTx2010: Thanks for your encouragement! I love your new story, Dying Embers. Keep those updates coming. I love them. Your Breba moments are amazing!_

_Shout out to countrygirls86: I love your story, Hart Breaking Words. I'm addicted to reading it and I hope that you are able to update it soon._

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.**

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	41. Surprise Reunion

**Title: Believe in Love Again**

**Chapter 41: Surprise reunion **

**Time:** **September-December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Jack Morgan, Brian Collins, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, Frank Campbell, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- Brock and Barbra Jean came down the stairs towards the bar. They stopped when they saw Reba and Mike dancing. They remained hidden in the shadows on the stairs watching the pair. Barbra Jean started whispering to Brock. "Wow, I wish that Mike could show me how to dance like that. Reba is really lucky. They look like they are having fun."

"Barbra Jean, if you remember, I wanted to become a professional dancer when I was younger. I could dance like that if I wanted to."

"Well, do you want to now? That seems to be something that he can do to woo Reba and it's workin'. What can you do?" Barbra Jean pointed out.

"We've been takin' the dance classes so I have practiced some of the more complicated dance steps. I think that I can match him evenly in dancing skills." Brock responded.

"That's not enough. He's looking into her eyes and touching her body as they dance. It's so intimate. He's romancing the socks off of her without even takin' her to bed tonight. It's like somethin' out of a romantic movie."

"You don't have to rub that in, Barbra Jean. I feel bad enough as it is."

"No, I mean that dancing is an important part of wooing Reba, so how do we get you in a situation where you dance with her?" Brock shrugged and Barbra Jean came up with an idea.

"You could always watch some of those romantic movies to get a few tips, but you could also try dancing with me. You're supposed to be working things out with me, at least that's what you want Reba to think. It might even make her jealous when she sees us together. Later, we could switch partners. You would be dancin' with Reba and I could be dancin' with Tall Dark and Handsome over there. That way, we could both get what we want. Besides, it might even make her uncomfortable to be dancin' so closely with Mike in front of you. You want to throw her off guard. If she puts her defenses down, then you've got a good chance. Max told me a secret about Reba."

"What was it?"

"Forget I said anything. I don't wanna hurt my best friend."

"You're not hurtin' her. You're helpin' her. Come on, BJ. Tell me."

"He said that Reba said your name every time they were in bed together!" Barbra Jean blurted out, still whispering so they could continue spying on Reba. She covered her mouth with her hand. She was mad at herself for not keeping a tighter rein on the blurting. Brock smiled proudly. He knew that he still had a chance with Reba. That gave him all the hope and courage that he needed for now.

Brock needed a fresh game plan for wooing Reba. Barbra Jean's suggestions made sense and that was a new development in itself. Barbra Jean was giving him insight into romancing a woman. If she'd told him about things like this when they were married, then maybe he wouldn't have been such an awful husband to her. It occurred to him that women like Reba and Barbra Jean expect men to know what they want without being told. This was something that Mike seemed to understand. Mike was doing well in winning Reba over, but Brock figured that the game was only half over and there was still time for him to win back the love of his life. He just had to come up with a strategy that would work...

What will Brock try in wooing Reba? What will happen between Reba and Max now that Brock and Barbra Jean are staying in the apartment with them all weekend? What will Max do next? Who will Brock turn to for advice to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike now that she's figured out how to lure him away so they can be alone? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba and Mike were still dancing to the Dirty Dancing CD. Reba was finding it hard to concentrate anymore. She wanted Mike so badly that she couldn't stand it.

"Let's go upstairs. Maybe it's time to go to bed." Reba told him, pressing her lips to his hungrily. She was moving her lips to his neck. Mike was struggling to resist her. There was always just something about her that he could never resist, especially when she initiated their lovemaking. It had just been too darn long. He had a goal. If he wanted to get Reba to marry him, he was going to have to play hardball with her. It was time to lay his cards on the table.

"Reba, don't!" Mike said sharply, pulling away from her.

Reba stopped uncertain of where to go from here. He'd never actually turned her down before, especially not at their place. "It's been awhile. I must be doin' somethin' wrong," she joked. She put her arms around him and placed her lips on his ever so softly. That was Mike's undoing. She pressed her body closer to his. She was gentle and careful. It reminded Mike of how she was in the beginning, before the trip to Las Vegas when everything got so complicated. Her perfume was filling his senses and he started kissing her again. She spoke in a gentle whisper. "Mmm. This is nice. I always loved the way that you kiss. Oh, I missed you. I missed this. No one makes me feel the way that you do."

Mike pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "Your eyes look like silver pools of moonlight and the tide rushes in."

She was amused that he would use that old line on her, but she understood what he was aiming for. He wanted a new beginning for them, not just a continuation of what they had before. He was trying to put things back to the way that they were in the beginning before Kim, Terry, and Brock messed everything up. He wanted to go back to the days when their relationship was innocent and full of hope. If that's what he wanted, Reba sure wasn't going to object. She changed tactics with him. She lowered her voice to a soft, soothing tone. "You really love me, don't you?" she questioned as if she didn't know the answer. She put her hand to his cheek and smiled.

He took her face into his hands. "You know I do. Everything that I have is yours, baby. I swear. I'll cherish you forever." He was saying the same things to her that he said the night that he proposed after they'd arrive at the apartment to start their new life together. She didn't care. She thought that it was sweet that he remembered. He was trying to make this sentimental. She smiled and kissed him again.

She kissed him feverishly. "Oh Jack, I love you so much. Let's make love tonight."

Mike pulled away again. "What? We're supposed to be taking things slowly. I want to marry you."

"Oh come on, for heaven's sakes, Jack, it's not exactly our first time. We've made love thousands of times. We've been married. We've had a child together. We once had an affair goin' on for weeks without anyone knowin' about it. I appreciate everything that you're tryin' to do. It's so sweet. I love that you remember how to say all the right words. I'm meltin' right into your arms. I don't care where we go, but I really want us to make love right now. We can try out that old pool table in the back, if you want to. We were makin' sweet memories that night too before we were so rudely interrupted." Reba unbuttoned the top two buttons on her dress.

Mike looked uncomfortable. This wasn't going how he planned. He wanted to pace things right so he could work in a proposal that he was sure that Reba would say yes to. "Wait, Reba! I'm gonna tell ya for the second time tonight that I wanna marry ya. I want to get married, then we can make love, and then we can have a baby. Call me old-fashioned, but that's the way that I want things to be between us this time. Will you mar..."

Reba knew what he was going to say. She kissed him again fast before he could say the words. She was not ready to give him an answer to his proposal. Why did he have to make things so complicated? Why couldn't they just throw caution to the wind and simply love each other without the hassle of commitments? She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and she told him so. Why did he need that stupid piece of paper so much? It wasn't like they were happy in their other marriages. They'd both been through painful divorces. She wasn't ready to put herself out there like that.

"Reba, hold on a second! I'm tryin' to say somethin' here." His voice was filled with impatience. He didn't like how this was going one little bit. He expected her to melt into his arms and accept his proposal. It looked like that wasn't going to happen.

"That's the third time that you've called me Reba tonight," she remarked. Her voice was cracking with emotion. She was disappointed. She felt rejected and she didn't like it at all. She didn't like feeling rejected by the love of her life. Now she knew how Brock felt because Barbra Jean was rejecting him too.

"What do you want me to call you, babe?"

"I don't know, Mike." Reba put an emphasis on the way that she said his name. She wanted him to get the message. "If you don't know, then I'm not gonna bother tellin' ya!"

He got the message alright. He knew exactly how to deal with the situation. He captured her lips fiercely, pulling her roughly to him. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. "Where?" he asked.

She broke off her kiss to answer. "I don't care. The closest available place would be the bar counter."

He nodded and carried her over the bar counter. He laid her down and kissed her. "Do you want me, Sal?"

"You know I do," she answered breathlessly.

He got off of her and stood up quickly. "It seems to me that we've got a problem here. We both want somethin' and we each wanna be the one to win. I propose that we make a new bet. This one should be a real challenge for ya. If you can seduce me, then I'll agree to wait to get married. I'll even wait until after December. We can try for a baby right away. The catch is if I can seduce you first, then I win and you have to agree to marry me. It doesn't have to be right away. We can wait until December if that's what you want. Either way you still come out a winner because we'll make love and start tryin' for a baby. Do you wanna take the bet?" Mike grinned and stuck out his hand for Reba to shake.

"Absolutely! You're gonna lose. I'm gonna win and then we'll stop all this talk about marriage. I'm gonna have ya beggin' to make love to me." She sat up on the counter and shook Mike's hand. Then she hopped off the bar counter and took Mike by the hand. "I want ya to dance with me some more." She led him to the area where they were dancing before, near the stage and the jukebox. She let go of his hand and turned to face him. "I don't wanna talk anymore. Just dance with me."

"Are you sure that's all you want? You just wanna dance?" Mike asked. He wanted to be sure of what she wanted. She nodded wordlessly. She walked towards him, closing the space between them. She was close enough to kiss him. She put her hand on his shoulder and then reached around to grab the back of his neck. Her arm was finally around him. He didn't let her proximity get to him. He put his arms around her to guide her movements. His actions were slow and deliberate. He knew that she was trying to entice him, but he was determined to stay one step ahead of her. She ran her hands up and down his back. Mike held Reba close as they continued to move to the beat. He dipped her. She slowly lifted herself up to Mike. Mike rubbed up against her. He put his hands on either side of her face and brought her in for a kiss. It was gentle this time and less fierce. Reba lost track of how long that kiss was. He gently pulled away first. Reba's eyes were closed. She slowly opened her eyes. "Now do ya want me to drive you up the wall?" he asked her in that low tone that she always found so sexy.

"Yeah, but I wanna win more so I'm not gonna be the one to surrender. You are and I'm gonna use every trick in the book to get what I want. You can do anything you want to me and you still won't win." Reba answered him with an outward façade of calm while inside his actions were turning her into jelly. She was determined not to let him affect her.

Barbra Jean and Brock were still sitting near the top of the stairs unseen. Brock didn't like watching what was happening, but he was afraid to move and get caught spying on them. "Okay, you've done enough research on Reba. Now's the time for action. If we don't act soon, she just might let him win." Barbra Jean stood up and pulled Brock to his feet. Then they walked down the stairs together hand in hand.

At that moment, Reba was kissing Mike's neck and running her hands up and down his muscular chest. Mike's hands were on Reba's backside. They were moving slowly to the music. What they were doing had changed from the simple dance that Reba had originally told him that she wanted.

Barbra Jean knew that it was time to play the part of the loving wife. She cleared her throat once they got to the bottom of the stairs. "Wow, it looks like we had the same idea as you guys. I just had to get Brock to dance with me."

Reba's arms returned to encircle the back of Mike's neck while Mike's arms were around Reba's waist. They were carefully slow dancing. Reba was embarrassed to be caught in such as intimate position by Brock and Barbra Jean. Reba was trying to slow her breathing down. Her pulse was racing. She didn't think that anyone would've noticed that they'd slipped away. If they did, she'd hoped that they figured that the two were in their bedroom together and not down here. Reba hoped that her sister hadn't guessed her location and given it away to the others.

Reba continued to dance with Mike while Brock danced with Barbra Jean. Mike put on one of their favorite songs on the jukebox, "Bring It on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke. Reba always found meaning in the words of the song. Mike was mouthing the words while they danced.

**If you ever change your mind  
About leavin', leavin' me behind  
Oh, oh, bring it to me  
Bring your sweet lovin'**

**Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)**

**You know I laughed when you left  
But now I know I've only hurt myself  
Oh, oh, bring it to me  
Bring your sweet lovin'  
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)**

Reba smiled. He dipped, spun, and turned her around the dance floor. Brock held Barbra Jean close as they slow danced. Reba watched the pair carefully with mixed emotions.

She wanted them to get along. They needed to make their marriage work. She told Brock to try to make the marriage work and he seemed to actually be listening to her, but Brock's words from the beach came flooding back in her mind. "You are the only woman that I ever married for love. That should count for somethin'. I want us to have more children. I wanna grow old with my wife, the only one who ever counted. Lord knows how much I love you. I've loved you since the moment we first met."

At that moment, she felt like she did when Brock brought Barbra Jean to Cheyenne and Van's first wedding. She felt betrayed, even though she knew that she had no right to feel that way. She and Brock had been over for the last six years. She took a deep breath and looked into Mike's eyes. They were so gentle and trusting. It was everything that she'd ever wanted. Mike whispered into her ear. He wanted to try some of the more difficult moves.

He wanted to try a lift. She told him to put on "I've Had the Time of My Life". Barbra Jean heard the song play. She'd always wanted to learn to dance like that. She'd always loved that movie. She'd been twelve when the movie came out, but she was fascinated by the romance and the dancing. Dancing with Brock was nice, but it clearly wasn't anywhere near close to dancing like a professional. Why did Reba always have to be so lucky?

She always ended up with the best guys. Mike was nice looking, fun, devoted, and danced with Reba like he was Patrick Swayze. Barbra Jean was no longer married to Brock. Their divorce was finalized two weeks ago. Helping Brock could also serve her own purposes. She wanted to know what it was like to be romanced the way that Mike was romancing Reba. She stopped dancing with Brock and urged him to watch the other pair on the dance floor. "Are you watchin'? Because that is what a woman wants! I wanna learn to dance like that. Reba obviously wants to be able to dance like that with the man that she loves."

They watched as Mike lifted Reba up into the air over his head. That was an amazing moment for Barbra Jean. It was like watching the movie, only it was real. Barbra Jean clapped loudly. She rushed over to Mike and Reba. "Oh my gosh, that was so great! I've always wanted to dance like that. Brock can't dance like that. Please teach us."

"It's not that hard. You just have to be in sync with your partner. There has to be a lot of trust and good non-verbal communication going on. It also takes practice," Reba responded.

"Brock is not that graceful. It will take us forever to learn to dance like you guys. Please help us. You've got to help us, Reba. You're always so good at helping us. Pleaseeee!" Barbra Jean begged.

"If it will get you to stop, then we will help you." Reba looked at Barbra Jean with frustration. She was tired of helping those two, but she gave in because she knew that their marriage was in a fragile place right now. She did want Brock to be able to get it back on track. Reba looked at Mike. "Is this okay?"

"Sure. I'll work with Barbra Jean and you can work with Brock. That way, they will each learn the steps from an experienced dance partner."

Brock couldn't believe his ears. This was working out better than he had anticipated. Two minutes later, he was dancing with Reba in his arms. Mike was working with Barbra Jean to teach her the dance steps. He dipped her and then swung her back up. Reba turned around so that her back was to Brock.

"Now follow me. Take my left arm and guide while I lift it to the back of your head. You're gonna take your fingers and trail them down my arm and past the side of my chest. You have to make your fingers glide down gently. Then you kiss the side of her face, but we can skip that. Then you spin me out and bring me back towards you. That's when we start into the steps of the mambo." Brock looked at her accusingly. "I only know how to do the mambo. I didn't know how to do the salsa or calypso before last June. Honest." Brock's eyes softened towards her.

Reba shivered as Brock followed her movements, especially as his fingertips run down her arm and over the side of her left breast. He didn't skip the kiss on the cheek either. Reba showed him the movements step by step. "So, how long have you known how to dance like this?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Mike and I have danced together for most of our lives. We used to dance together a lot in high school. We've been doing this one particular dance since the movie came out."

Brock's stare drilled into Reba. "So, you were dancing like this with Mike while you were married to me?"

Reba met his accusing eyes without flinching. "It was just dancing. For heaven's sake, Brock, dancing isn't the same as having ring-a-ding." Brock laughed when she said ring-a-ding. "What?"

"You haven't said ring-a-ding in a long time." He spoke in a casual, jesting way.

"Well, fine. Tease me then. It's just that being here reminds me who I used to be. I used to say things like ring-a-ding instead of making love."

"I know. I remember. So, why did you dance like that with him and not me, your husband?" The amused look suddenly left his eyes.

Reba swallowed to ease the lump that she felt in her throat. "Do you remember what you were like back then? You had dental classes, a job, and an internship. You were busy with that and then you would go out with your buddies to drink beer and play golf. I sat at home, taking care of Cheyenne. We didn't do much together. When I came back here for my birthday, Mike took me to see the movie. I mentioned that I wanted to learn to dance like that so he taught me. We were just friends. That's all. He was married and so was I. We didn't do anything wrong. He was my best friend." The look in Brock's eyes became gentle and understanding.

"Well now, I'm your best friend and I'm gonna need you to help me learn how to do this. We're gonna practice until I can dance like this with my wife perfectly. It's important to her for me to dance with her like this. She wants romance and I'm gonna give it to her."

Reba placed her hand on Brock's forearm. "I'm really glad, Brock. You know I like this Brock Hart a lot better than the old one. It's nice."

"Thank you. I think so, too. I'll let you know how it all turns out when I'm finished wooing my wife."

Reba giggled. "I'd pay good money to see that. I've never seen Brock Hart try to woo a woman."

"Hey, I got you to fall in love with me, didn't I?

"We were friends and that led into something more. You didn't have to work very hard to get me to marry you. There wasn't any wooing. You weren't exactly Mr. Romance."

"That's why I have to change. I wasn't a good husband, but I want to learn how to be one. I'm not good at this type of stuff. Do you think that you could help me with it?"

"Yeah, but only because we're friends. I don't wanna let you down. I don't wanna see ya get hurt again. I know how hard it is when you and Barbra Jean have problems."

"So how are you and Mike doin'?"

"It's different, but in a good way. We're building the foundation for a lasting relationship. That takes time. He loves me so much and I'm back to being that girl who felt lucky to get him to fall in love with me in the first place. You remember how I was. I wasn't exactly Miss Oklahoma. He sees something in me that I don't even see in myself. It's beautiful and perfect. I don't wanna let it go for anything else in the world."

"Sweetheart, I always thought that you were a beauty queen," Brock said tenderly.

"Shut up and dance, you mo-ron!"

"Anything you say, dear." Brock's remark caused Reba to roll her eyes at him.

_Author's note: When Brock mentions wanting to be a better man for his wife or wanting to woo his wife, he's talking about Reba. He wants her to be his wife. She doesn't get it. She hasn't caught on yet. Brock is being very careful not to have Reba catch on yet because he knows that she'll push him away. He's even become familiar enough with Paige to treat her like a little sister._

The next morning, Reba woke up next to Paige on the sleeper sofa bed. She woke up and fixed breakfast for everyone. Mike woke up to the sounds and smells of Reba's cooking. He came into the kitchen to greet her with a kiss. Brock woke up and got dressed. He came out and walked into the kitchen. Paige woke up and saw Brock coming out of her bedroom.

"Ugh, why isn't he staying in the other bedroom with Barbra Jean?" Paige responded.

"Because she won't let me. I didn't have any other choice for a place to sleep last night. Unless you'd rather slept in your own bed while I slept on the sleeper sofa next to Reba? Or maybe you'd like to have slept with your husband at his place?"

Paige was shocked. Her mouth hung open. "Reba, are you gonna let him talk to me like that? This is our home."

"And he is a guest," Reba explained to Paige before turning to Brock. "Brock, are you seriously gonna pick on my sister?"

"She started it."

Reba rolled her eyes at Brock's childishly response. Her cell phone was ringing. It was Cheyenne. "Good morning, Cheyenne. How's everyone doin' at Meemaw and Grandpa's house?"

Cheyenne was calling because Elizabeth and Henry were upset. They overheard a conversation between Van and Cheyenne about Reba. Elizabeth and Henry wanted to talk to Reba. They were sad and confused. Cheyenne was not able to calm the kids down. She needed Reba to come over and do that.

Reba got off the phone. "I have to get over to Mama and Daddy's house. There's trouble with the kids. The little ones overheard a private conversation and it upset them."

Mike flew into action. He went to finish cooking. He poured Reba some coffee in a travel mug to take with her, then he put a fried egg and a slice of cheese on some bread for a quick breakfast sandwich to go. It was the same thing that she did for him when they were in a hurry in the mornings and late for school back in Houston. Reba got dressed and rushed to get ready to go.

"Thank you. I love you and I'll be home as soon as I can. This shouldn't take long," Reba said to Mike.

"What happened?" Brock asked.

"It's Henry and Elizabeth. I'm takin' care of it."

"While you're over there, do you plan on walkin' around much?" Mike asked.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Your dad wants to give us a house on their land. I don't wanna waste any time. I thought that you could pick the location. I had some plans drawn up for you to look at. I wanna start building as soon as possible."

Reba shook her head and laughed. "What's funny?" Mike asked.

"My dad wantin' us to get married. He actually wants to give us a house? It's just too weird considering how things went before."

"I know. Let's be open-minded and hear what our folks have to say at dinner tonight. Just look around the property and see if there's any special place that appeals to ya. My dad offered us some of his land, but your dad insisted on us buildin' on McKinney land. The land has been in your family for generations and your dad wants to pass it on."

"I agree. I'd love for us to live on the family's land. It's just perfect. When we were growin' up, it was somethin' that I'd always wanted." Reba kissed him before heading to the door.

When she opened it, Kim was there with little Terry. "Terry really wanted to spend some time today with his dad." Terry went run up to greet Mike with a big hug. Mike scooped Terry up in his arms.

"That's fine. I was just leavin'."

"Reba, you should stay and spend some time with Terry and me. Please?"

"I'm sorry. I have to go now. I won't be long."

Mike's face twisted into a look of clear frustration. "Everything will be fine. Let Cheyenne handle her own daughter. Let Brock handle his own son. Why do you always have to put everyone else first in life? We need this time to come together as a family," he gently pleaded.

"Because Elizabeth is my granddaughter. I've been there from the moment that she was born. We are very close. Henry is also a part of our family. I was there on the day when he was born. He lives in my house and he is a half-brother to my kids. I don't treat him any differently than I do my own kids. This is about family. Henry is as important to me as Terry is, okay? I'll be right back. We can take Terry out to the park and go swimmin'. How about a picnic?"

Little Terry nodded his head and ran over to hug Reba. "Bye, Aunt Reba." Reba looked at him and started to cry. He looked so much like Terry. It struck her just how much she missed Terry. "Why are you cryin'?" he asked her innocently.

"You look so much like your father, that's all."

"My mommy says that all the time. Do you have kids, Aunt Reba?

"Yes, and you'll meet them tonight. My oldest daughter is Cheyenne. She has a husband named Van. They have two children, Elizabeth and John. My other daughter is Kyra. Then there's Jake and Henry. Elizabeth and Henry are a little older than you. They just started kindergarten."

"Are you gonna be my new mommy?" Terry asked.

"Well, Kim is your mommy and she loves you very much. I'm with your dad, but I would never want to replace your mommy. I like being your Aunt Reba. If you have any more questions, your dad is right there to answer them."

Reba left out the door to go to her parents' house. Barbra Jean, who had woken up during Reba's conversation with Mike, followed her out to her car.

"Reba, I want to thank you for what you said back there."

"Don't mention it."

"Did you mean it?

"Yes, you, Brock, and Henry are part of my family." Barbra Jean got excited and hugged Reba tightly. "Barbra Jean, I can't breathe."

"I'm sorry. It just means so much for me to hear you say that. You love Henry as much as I love Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake."

"He's their half-brother and he's living in my house part-time. Of course, I'm gonna treat him the same as the other kids. I do love him, Barbra Jean. Now, let go so I can go and talk to him. I'll let you know what's got him so upset when I get back, okay." Barbra Jean nodded and wiped tears off her cheeks.

Reba got into her car quickly and headed over to the McKinney family ranch. She arrived and took Elizabeth and Henry over to the barn. She took them horseback riding. The kids were smiling and laughing. So far, Reba didn't see them get upset at all. She wondered just what all the commotion was about. She was about to find out. After the horseback riding, she took the kids on a walk around the ranch. She was interested in finding the perfect spot to build her dream house.

"So, kids, I need your help. I'm tryin' to find the perfect place to build a house," Reba began.

"Who is the house for, Grandma?" Elizabeth asked.

"The house is for me. My boyfriend, Mike and I are gonna get married and we want to have a place to live in Houston and a place to live here."

"But you already have a place to live here. My mommy said that you have a nice apartment. That's where she and my daddy are staying this weekend," Henry responded.

"That's right, Henry. The apartment is nice, but it's a little small. I have three children and Mike has four children. We want to have more children so we need a place that is big enough for lots of children."

"We don't have much room in our house in Houston. Are we getting a bigger house in Houston too?" Henry asked.

"No, kids. I'm moving in with Mike in his apartment. We're gonna stay there until we finish college."

"But then you're gonna move, right? I heard my mommy and daddy talkin' about it," Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes, honey. We're movin' back here in a couple of years. Brock and Henry will move back home with Barbra Jean. Your mommy and daddy will get to stay at our house. Jake will probably move in with Brock too."

"That would be nice, Aunt Reba, but my mommy and daddy aren't gettin' back together. My mommy wants a divorce. She says that it will make everyone happy again. Does that mean that Daddy and I won't have a place to live?"

"You and your daddy are welcomed to stay in our house for as long as you want. It'll be okay."

"No, it won't! You're moving away. You can't go. Who will read me a bedtime story and tuck me in with Daddy? You're supposed to be with Daddy. He needs you."

"Henry, your daddy is a brave man. He loves you very much. He will take very good care of you, Elizabeth, Jake, Kyra, Cheyenne, Van, and their new baby."

"Grampy will be so sad without you," Elizabeth said tearfully.

Reba heard a voice coming from behind them. "That's because every daddy needs a mommy at home too." Reba shook her head in disbelief. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Do me a favor. My kid has been through enough already with the separation. He's just getting used to things and feelin' safe again. Don't take that away from him right now."

"I don't understand all of this commotion. I'm not moving out here for another two years or so, maybe even longer." Reba whispered back.

"They feel like their family is being torn apart like Jake did when we got divorced. All these years we've managed to stay a family through everything. The kids feel like our family is slipping away from them."

"It wasn't supposed to stay this way forever. Fine, I'll play along for now. Once the time comes for me to get married, we'll have to get them used to the idea that I'll be livin' across town."

"That's better than a whole state away. You've been there for Elizabeth her whole life. It will be hard for her to lose you that way."

"I said that I would play along. Honestly, you have to stop playin' the guilt card. I love my family."

"I know you do, Red." Brock kissed her on the forehead. "See, she isn't goin' anywhere." Brock happily told the kids. They cheered.

"Good! Now I wanna see Grampy and Grandma kiss." Both of the kids started chanting. "Kiss, kiss, kiss."

Brock leaned in and pressed his lips to Reba. Reba felt a spark of electricity flowing through both of them. She would've pulled away from the shock, but she felt herself being pulled into a flashback and she was pulling Brock into the flashback with her. She was reliving their wedding day when the minister pronounced them husband and wife and told Brock to kiss his bride. They were both reliving that first kiss as husband and wife. As soon as the flashback ended, Reba pulled away slightly embarrassed. Brock was grinning.

"I don't know about you, but this family still needs a vacation house. If Grandpa JV is goin' build a house for us, then we should find a place to build it." Reba remarked.

During that time that Brock and Reba spent with the kids that morning, it had almost felt like it used to when they were married. Reba thought that it was a nice feeling until Frank Campbell showed up. Frank Campbell was Kim's younger brother and a friend of Mike's. He came to find Reba to talk with her about the legal matters that he'd been working with Mike on. The kids were playing ball out in an open field. Brock and Reba had just sat down by Reba's favorite tree.

"Hey, Reba, how are ya?" Frank greeted.

"I'm fine. What are you doin' here, Frank?" Reba asked.

"Has Mike talked to ya about all the legal issues that have been goin' on?"

"Of course, Mike and I don't have any secrets from each other."

"Sure. This is a sensitive matter. Can we talk in private?"

"Why? You can say whatever it is that you have to say in front of Brock. He's family."

"There are papers that have to be signed about your marriage to Mike."

"We have plenty of time. It's still two months until December. What's the rush?"

"There's no need for another wedding unless you both want to renew your vows."

"What do you mean, renew our vows?"

"That's what most couples do when they're already married."

"What?"

"Mike was supposed to talk to ya about this. You two are legally married. You have been for the last twenty-five years. There are papers that the two of you need to go over and finalize in my office."

Reba suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her world was getting smaller and smaller. She was lucky that she was sitting down because she didn't have far to fall. She passed out. When she regained consciousness, Brock was sitting right beside her, telling her to take slow, deeper breaths. She told Frank that she wasn't feeling well and asked him to leave. Frank briefly explained the legalities of the situation before leaving. Brock was patient. He sat beside her and waited for her to get over her shock.

"So, are you okay?"

"Not exactly. When I woke up this morning, I wasn't married and now I am."

"Well honey, technically you were married when you got up this morning too," Brock remarked jokingly.

That got Reba to smile. "Ha ha, Brock, very funny."

"I thought so. So, how did this happen?"

"I don't know all the details, but we did make vows and we did live together. It must have something to do all the things that we did before we left for Vegas."

"What do you mean? What did you do?"

"The lease on the apartment says that the place is occupied by Mike and Reba Holliway. I signed the lease as Reba Holliway. I also got the name on my driver's license changed from Reba McKinney to Reba Holliway. I changed my name on everything before I left. That's why I got the apartment when we returned. He treated everything as if we got divorced because he considered us living together as husband and wife until we got back from Vegas. To be honest, it was like we were married until I left for Ada. For the first three weeks after Vegas, we were polite roommates. One night, we went to dinner and a movie together. We came home and reconciled. We didn't spend not one night apart until the day I packed up and left."

Brock listened tentatively without any trace on emotion on his face. Reba was grateful that he wasn't judging her at this point. She saw his expression change to one of obvious amusement. He had a boyish smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just thinkin' of the night of the engagement party. I'm so irresistible that a married woman tried to seduce me."

"That's not funny. I wasn't tryin' to seduce you. I was tryin' to teach ya a lesson."

"You can teach me a lesson like that anytime, Red," he said, laughing. Somehow Reba also found this funny as well. That night was one of those someday we'll look back on this and laugh moments.

Reba went through the rest of her day on auto pilot. She returned back to the bar and explained why the kids were so upset. Mike had to understand that things were changing for the kids and they just needed time to adjust. He promised to stop talking about getting married and moving to Oklahoma around the kids. She waited for him to tell her that they were still married, but he didn't. Reba figured that Mike had the same trust issues that she had. She decided that being married to Mike wasn't such a bad thing. It was something that she'd wanted for so long and she began to relax in her role as Mrs. Reba Holliway.

That didn't mean that they would stop being the people that they were yesterday. She wasn't going to give in that easily. There was a new bet in place that she would win. That would put them on even ground. He would get to be married to her, but on her terms. She decided to win that bet at all costs. Reba knew that she still had what it took to seduce Mike. They were about to reconnect as husband and wife.

She decided to have some fun with this. The family dinner wasn't something that she looked forward to anyway. She'd rather get a root canal. She was going to have to sit at the same table as JV, who was sitting next to Helen. JV was blissfully unaware that his wife was seated next to her lover. It was so embarrassing to Reba to know about the affair, but by now that information was common knowledge around town. Reba was both grateful, but disturbed to know that JV was clueless to his wife's infidelity. Reba didn't want to see her father hurt and she didn't want to see her parents' marriage end, but she couldn't figure out why he didn't realize that something was wrong in his marriage.

Was he walking around with blinders on? Maybe he just didn't want to see things for what they really were. Reba would keep what she knew a secret from her father. She loved Mike, but she was not going to play the dutiful daughter and daughter-in-law tonight. It was time to rewind the clock and slip into some old habits. No one knew that they were married so she was ready to shame her mother in behaving herself by focusing on being a mother for a change. It was fine for Mike and Reba to date, but JV and Helen always found it unacceptable for Reba and Mike to be fooling around in public or sneaking around when they knew exactly what the pair was up to. Reba knew that JV would reprimand her on displaying that type of behavior when she was a mother herself.

The entire McKinney/Hart and Holliway clans would be there. When they did this at teenagers, it was because they wanted to stop Helen and Jason's relationship before it destroyed two families and two marriages. That's how Mike and Reba fell back into dating after being friends for so long. It was easy enough for Reba to remember what to do and she had fun planning exactly how the evening would go. Not everything was perfect that evening. She was seated across from Mike instead of beside him at the table. She was seated beside Barbra Jean and Brock was seated next to Mike, also across from Reba. Reba sat there subtly flirting with Mike from across the table.

This irked Brock because he couldn't figure out how Mike was getting away with deceiving Reba. Reba knew that Mike still hadn't confessed that they were married and yet acted as if nothing had happened earlier when Brock knew that Reba had a deep fear of making a marital commitment to Mike. That's why she hadn't accepted his marriage proposal yet. There she was acting as if all was right in the relationship. The signs and signals were clear. Reba was trying to be as bold as she could be right under everyone's noses. It was time for a little interference. Brock prayed that luck would come his way.

Luck was smiling on Brock Hart that evening. Reba was passing a note under the table to Mike, but she misjudged the distance and the note landed in Brock's direction. Brock opened the note carefully in his lap. Reba wanted to sneak away from dinner to fool around in a closet with Mike. He saw her sneak off first. He waited until the coast was clear. Mike hadn't gotten the message and everyone at the table was busy talking. Brock carefully maneuvered his exit from the table.

So far, so good. Reba was waiting in a dark closet to make out with her husband. She felt him quickly enter the dark sanctuary. "I just had to get away from there. Our parents are creating more drama than Barbra Jean usually does on a good day," she said to him. Her lips greeted his fiercely. Her tongue tangled with his briefly before she moved the attention to his neck. She licked, nipped, and sucked at his neck gently and her hands made their way south in a hurry to touch the growing bulge in his pants. She didn't want to have to tell him what she wanted.

She didn't want him to think that he was winning. She'd made it clear that he'd have to seduce her in any way necessary to win. She would not admit defeat and she would not surrender. He didn't disappoint her. His hands were under her shirt, moving past her bra. She moved her hands back up to his abs and chest. "Somebody's been workin' out. Keep it up," she commented breathlessly. She grinded her hips against his.

He groaned. Reba was satisfied that she'd teased him long enough. She stopped everything to whisper in his ear. "That was fun. If you want more, then you'll have to wait 'til later. I'm goin' back to the table now. You should wait five minutes before you head back to the table. I love you." She kissed him again quickly on the mouth. He didn't hesitate to make another move on her. He grabbed her behind and backed her up against the wall. "Someone's anxious, but we have to get back. I promise that I'll make this up to you later." Reba slipped out of the room as fast as she could get out of his grasp.

She cracked the door open slightly and slipped out. Brock couldn't believe his luck. He never dreamed to be in this situation with Reba again. It was like a dream having her kiss him, touch him, and tell him that she loved him. That declaration of love almost undid him, but he decided that it was better to win the war because he didn't need to be the one to win the battle. She did, even if she didn't know who her play mate was right now. He was winning in little ways that made all the difference in the world to him. He felt bad about deceiving her, but she would never let him near her otherwise. He was definitely in love with the most stubborn woman in all of Oklahoma and Texas combined, but he wouldn't want to have it any other way.

The fathers made their announcements after dinner when the family was having dessert. JV stood up with a proud look on his face. "I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the Holliways into our family. Helen and I are very proud to see Reba and Mike back together again. But this isn't the only thing that joins our two families because we also have the memory of a wonderful little boy that will tie us together always. Now, your mother and I have a gift for ya. We know that you have a home in Houston, but we'd like you to have a place to call home here in McAlester for your family."

"As soon as plans are approved and you've selected a spot to build, then construction will start on your new house. Reba, your mother and I would like to tell you how much we love you and how proud we are of you. You've given us four beautiful grandchildren and we look forward to the day when you and Mike give us another beautiful grandbaby. We haven't always been there for you girls as we should have, but we promise to be there for ya now and in the future. So I'd like to make a toast to little John, who can't be with us now but who will always be in our hearts." JV raised his glass and invited everyone else to do the same.

JV sat down and Jason stood up, with his face full of genuine affection as he looked at Mike and Reba. "It's been a hard year for this family because not so long ago we lost Emma to cancer. I know that she is in a better place because she's in heaven with our boy, Terry. We haven't had a lot to smile about until Mike told me that he and Reba were reunited, working on a family and a life together. Reba, I just know that Emma is up there in heaven taking care of your boy, too and I know that Emma and Terry are looking down on us right now, smiling. Mike came to Emma and me in June and told us that the two of you were trying to find your way back to each other. It made us think about how much time you've lost together. Time is precious and you never know how fast time really goes."

"Emma wanted me to give you our blessing. We'd decided to make Reba truly feel like part of the family right away. We've made you an equal partner to Mike in our family businesses. That means that you own 50% of Mike's shares in Frontier's and Holliway's. We've divided them so Kim owns 20% of Holliway's. Sam, Nick, Josh, and Terry each own five percent of Frontier's. Their mother holds onto and manages the profits from those shares until the youngest boy turns age 21. Mike has a new business partner who now owns ten percent of Frontier's and ten percent of Holliway's. Mike owns 35% in Frontier's and 35% in Holliway's. Reba, what Emma and I did was sign over 35% of Frontier's and 35% of Holliway's in your current name, no strings attached. You will always be a part of our family whether you decide to marry Mike or not. We love you and we wanted to welcome you as a daughter to our family." Jason walked over to Reba and hugged her.

Jason sat back down and Reba remained standing. She had a speech to deliver, too. "Wow, I feel so surprised, but in a good way. This is so great that both sets of parents are so accepting and so loving. I feel so blessed, not only for me but for John also. For a long time, his life was mourned and it was never celebrated like it should have been. I just feel so happy that we are finally celebrating what he meant to all of us. My children, my grandchildren, and I are so touched to be entering into your family. We are happy to have the Holliways join our family because in the McKinney family there's always room for more. As I look around at all of the faces at this table, I feel so blessed because we are becoming one big happy family. This family includes more than just McKinneys and Holliways. We have Kim, who enjoyed being a Holliway so much that she did it twice." Kim laughed at Reba's joke.

"We have Mike and Kim's children. I am growing to love you guys more each day. We have Jenny, who will be becoming a Holliway soon and blessing us with a new grandchild." Jenny met Reba's eyes and smiled. "We have Van, who has married my daughter, Cheyenne, who is half McKinney." Van looked at Reba and smiled. He had a tear in his eye that he wiped on his sleeve. "Van and Cheyenne have blessed me with two wonderful grandchildren. We have my three children who are all half-McKinney and half-Hart because 25 years ago we added the Harts into the McKinney family. That means that any and all Harts will always be a part of our family."

"So we also have Barbra Jean and Henry as honorary members of our family. Barbra Jean, I know that I don't have to tell you this because you know that my mama welcomed you into our family six years ago. It just took me a little longer to accept it, but I did and now I can honestly say that I'm glad that you are in my life and part of my family." Barbra Jean reached over to Reba and hugged her. "Barbra Jean, I might reconsider 'cause you're squeezin' the life outta me." Barbra Jean let go and quickly sat back down in her seat.

"Henry, you are the newest Hart and very precious to your parents, and to me."

Henry ran over to give Reba a bear hug around her middle. "I love you, Aunt Reba." Reba put her arms around the little boy. He pulled on her sleeve to get her down to his level. He wanted to whisper something in her ear. "I love you the mostest, Aunt Reba."

Reba looked at him with tears in her eyes. She was caught off guard by the rush of emotions that she felt when Henry told her that while he hugged her so fiercely as if he were afraid to let go. Reba turned to whisper in his ear. "Have I told ya that you're my favorite?" Henry beamed at her. He let go and ran back to his seat. Reba was choked up by all of this emotion. She was having trouble finishing her speech. She tried to collect herself to continue. "And last but not least, we have Brock, who became an honorary Holliway when he became Mike's best friend. He also became a McKinney when he became my best friend. You will always have a place in this family because we are linked by five terrific kids, well six if you count Van."

"You're darn right. You better count me in there. I love you and Mr. H more than my own parents." Reba laughed and went over to hug Van. She then in turn hugged all the rest of the children around the table, giving equal attention to Mike's children as she did for her own children and grandchildren. She looked over at Brock, who mouthed 'love you, Red' to her. Reba nodded and returned to her seat. She raised her glass. "I would like to give a toast to everyone in this family. I am blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. To the McKinney-Holliway family."

Two hours later, Reba, Barbra Jean, Kim, Mike, and Brock were getting ready for the night ahead at Holliway's. Reba was nervous. Kim got a great idea. Kim and Reba were in a band in junior high. It might be fun to get the girls together to play a couple of songs. She'd had Reba's costume altered to fit earlier in the week. Reba agreed and Kim couldn't wait to see the look on Mike's face. When Reba walked down the stairs, it was priceless.

Mike's jaw had dropped to the floor. Reba was wearing a short white dress. The top was accented with rhinestones. The length of the dress only went down to her knees. The dress had a black belt that wrapped around the waist, accentuating Reba's curves. The top of the dress fit snug so Reba's bosom was clearly defined through the material. The material was a cotton/polyester blend and was not sheer or see-through in any way. That didn't stop Mike from getting jealous about her appearing in public dressed like that.

The most shocking part was her hair. Kim was dressed in the same outfit and was having a good time with this. Reba was wearing a blonde wig and Kim was wearing a red wig. Mike didn't approve of this, but he was too afraid of incurring Reba's wrath to say much. Brock was grinning mischievously. No matter what she looked like, she would always be his fantasy. He'd never seen her dressed like this though. He finally saw what a temptation she'd been before.

It was already too late by the time that Brock met her. She only had eyes for Mike and all he could do was run interference. "I see that you still look like jailbait, Red." Reba turned around and smacked Brock on the back of the head.

"At least I can have the ability to look like I did 25 years ago. Can you say the same thing? Nope, because you're an over tanned manatee with an obvious beer gut. At least, I look like I have the body of a twenty year old." Brock looked upset that her words, but he didn't take offense to them. She was wrong about part of it. He had been working out lately and Reba noticed, even if it was in the dark. He was going to have to do something about the tanning. It clearly didn't impress Reba. It would probably impress her more if he sold the tanning bed and the country club membership. After all, they did need the money.

It was expensive for three members of the household to be in college at the same time. Reba caught Brock in deep thought. "Don't think too hard. You'll strain whatever brain cells you still have left." She enjoyed sparring with him. She always did. That's how it was in the beginning before they were a couple.

Brock went in for the kill. "At least my wife doesn't have to drastically alter her appearance to get me to sleep with her 'cause she's too sexy without even tryin' to be." He hated to say that to her, but she didn't give any indication that she'd let up on him until he forced her to stop. He felt bad because he knew that Reba thought that he was talking about Barbra Jean and he wasn't.

"You may think that you're married to Marilyn Monroe, but you're really married to Anna Nicole Smith. Good luck with that." Reba turned and walked away triumphantly. Brock chuckled. Reba always had to have the last word.

Reba got up on stage with her four best friends from junior high, minus Lori Ann. Kim started the set with a song from the Runaways. Reba had learned to play just about any song on her guitar whether it was country or rock. Reba loved seeing the look on everyone's faces when she and Kim began singing Queens of Noise. They'd played the song so often when they were younger that it wasn't hard to Reba to remember the words. Van and Cheyenne was clearly shocked. Cheyenne was mad because Van was obviously drooling over Reba, who was up on that stage playing as wonderfully as he'd heard Kyra play with her band before. Mrs. H needed to be a full time singer in his opinion.

He couldn't help looking her body either. Cheyenne smacked him on the back of the head. Kyra was shocked, too. Her mom was up on the stage and she was awesome. She finally understood where she'd got it from. No wonder why she was so encouraging of Kyra's interest in music. She was proud. She had a natural talent that she'd inherited from her mother.

She looked over and saw men drooling over her and Van was one of them. Cheyenne was angry and it was hilarious. Barbra Jean knew that Reba was an awesome person already, but now she had more reasons to worship her. She couldn't wait to add this to her blog on Monday. She looked over at Brock. Brock looked like a deer in the headlights. He knew that she could sing. He'd seen her on stage before, but he had no idea that she could sing like this.

Reba could sing rock and looked really sexy doing it. She still had the power to surprise him after all these years. No wonder why Mike felt the need to make love to her right on the stage after everyone left. Reba had a wild side. Brock wouldn't mind helping her explore that further. Paige knew how cool Reba was. This was not a surprise. She gave Paige the courage to get on the stage at Holliway's and sing in the first place.

She just didn't like the look on her fiancé, Greg's face. He looked as if he'd never seen anyone so sexy in his whole life. She had a feeling that Greg had a past with Reba that he just didn't want to talk about. Max knew how great Reba looked on stage. She'd been on the stage at his club before. She looked so sexy on stage that night when she came in on her birthday back in June. His eyes were on the woman on the stage beside Reba. Reba's friend, Kim was a real looker.

She might be someone that he'd like to get to know further. He decided to buy her a drink later when the band took a break. Kyra looked over at her dad. She'd never seen anyone look so love struck in her whole life. He clearly needed help. She couldn't imagine what would happen if things were left in the hands of her mother and father alone. They'd totally mess it up. She decided to get her aunt's help with a plan.

The band played It's a Long Way to the Top, The Tide is High, Roll on Down the Highway, I Hate Myself For Loving You, and I Love Rock and Roll. Barbra Jean got the shock of her life when Reba pulled her on stage to sing Respect and 9 to 5 with her. This was way better than the time that they sang at the karaoke bar. Barbra Jean was thrilled. Reba and her friends finished their set and got off stage. Barbra Jean rushed over to Brock excitedly and hugged him. Reba was on cloud nine after performing until she saw BJ hug Brock. She was back to thinking of Barbra Jean as BJ again.

She needed to get a grip on the hostility that she felt in that moment. She needed a drink and she needed to dance with her man. She didn't need to be having thoughts of someone else. She was determined to get control on her feelings. Reba danced with Mike for two songs before she got on stage with Mike, Paige, Michael, Kim, Jenny, and the rest of Mike's band. She took the blonde wig off, shook out her ruby red locks, and waited for Mike's introduction.

"Folks, we have a special treat for you tonight all the way from Houston, Texas. I'm proud to introduce the best singer to perform on this stage, Reba McKinney-Hart." Reba stepped up to the microphone and the crowd cheered. Mike joined Reba in a duet. They sang together for a few songs. They sang Give In To Me, Like We Never Loved At All, Break Each Other's Hearts Again, Remind Me, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. Reba performed Somebody To Love as a solo with Kim and Paige singing backup. Mike pulled her into a dance right in the middle of the song during the instrumentals. He never ceased to surprise her.

Reba sang So Far Away as a tribute to Terry, and then she and Kim decided to do their duet. Reba and Kim each had microphones and started facing away from each other, with their backs to Mike in the chair between them. Kim turned to face Reba and Mike and she began singing.

**Kim:  
I've known about you for a while now  
When he leaves me he wears a smile now  
As soon as he's away from me  
In your arms is where he wants to be**

Reba turned towards Kim and Mike.

**Reba:  
But you're the one he rushes home to  
You're the one he gave his name to  
I'll never see his face in the early morning light  
You have his mornings, his daytimes  
And sometimes I have his nights**

Reba and Kim are facing each other. Mike is sitting there, speechless.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me**

Reba sings to Mike.

**Reba:  
But when he's with me  
He says he needs me  
And that he wants me  
That he believes in me**

Kim sings to Mike.

**Kim:  
And when I'm in his arms  
Oh he swears there's no one else  
Is he deceiving me  
Or am I deceiving myself  
(Am I deceiving myself)**

Reba and Kim each put a hand on Mike's shoulders.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me  
**  
**Kim:  
Oh and shouldn't I lose my temper?**

**Reba:  
Oh and shouldn't I be ashamed?**

**Kim:  
'Cuz I have everything to lose**

**Reba:  
And I, I have nothing to gain**

Kim and Reba each take turns sliding Mike's face towards each of them as they sing their part like they really are fighting over him.

**Both:  
But does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)  
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)  
When he's holding me  
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)  
All his fantasies  
Does he love you (Does he love you)  
Like he's been loving me**

Reba holds Mike's gaze as she sings the final part.

**Reba:  
Oh does he love you**

The song ends and Reba starts speaking to Mike in front of the crowd. "So, honey, what's it gonna be- the blonde or the redhead?" The crowd laughed.

"What do you think, folks? I know a challenge when I see one. I can't wait to tame the fiery temptress in front of me."

"Would that be because my daddy owns a shotgun and you've got a target on your back because you're datin' me?" The crowd roared with laughter.

Mike bows to Reba and kisses her hand. He starts to sing Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Reba giggled at the corny gesture. He had Reba sit in the chair. He began to sing I Think I Love You directly to Reba. Michael had Paige also sit on another chair while he joined in with Mike in sing the song to Paige.

Reba took a break from singing to jump back behind the bar to help serve customers. Brock saw her do this and decided to join her. Mike was still on stage with the band. Reba grabbed a shot of tequila for herself and then had another.

"Hey, slow down! You shouldn't be drinking like that. That stuff is pretty lethal," Brock commented.

"Who are you to tell me to slow down? If my husband doesn't care what I'm doin', then why should you?"

"Because I'm someone who cares about you. Because we're best friends. Because you're ten time meaner with a hangover, which you are bound to have in the mornin' if you keep drinkin' like that."

"Did you even know what was happening when I came here? Weren't you the least bit worried about your wife, partyin' and gettin' wild?"

"One, I did suspect the worst, but there's nothin' I could do. You hate dealin' with a jealous man. I just had to trust you. You were worth trustin'. Two, you are so responsible and you take care of so many people. You deserve to let your hair down and have some fun when you get the chance to. I just have to wonder why you're mainlining tequila tonight. Three, the developments of the day have me wonderin' just who was married to who around here."

"I'm sorry about that. If this marriage is actually legal, then we were never legally married. I'm not sure what to think about that. On the bright side, you never committed adultery. You have to be married to do that. On the other hand, I did and I never thought that I'd be that type of woman. I committed adultery every time I was with you and I don't feel very good about that at all." Reba explained while downing three more shots in a row.

"Honey, come on. Take it easy. Mike is the one who created this mess. None of that is your fault. Let's have a good time, okay?" Brock responded, pulling her onto the dance floor during a slow song.

"I'm havin' a good time. I promise. I've decided just what I wanna do tonight." Reba's spirits lifted as her mind formed a plan.

"What's that?" Brock questioned. He could see the wheels turning in her mind. He'd known her long enough to know when she was trying to move heaven and earth in her own direction.

"Never mind. Mike's had quite a bit to drink tonight. Just help me get him to bed tonight. I'm not gonna be able to get him up the stairs." Reba waved off Brock's concern as if he were crazy.

"No problem. Are you okay? You've got a funny look on your face." He was silently begging her to talk to him about whatever it was that she had on her mind. He knew what she was thinking about and he wanted to talk her out of it.

"I just came up with the best plan. Don't worry about a thing. I'll have everything fixed by morning. My life will be perfect when I wake up in the morning and nothing's gonna ruin it," she stated triumphantly.

Brock's plans were ruined if he couldn't keep Reba out of Mike's arms. He wanted her to stay right where she was with him. That's when he remembered the moment between them in the closet. He wanted to laugh. He finally knew how to get the better of Reba. She was spinning a web that she was going to trap herself in. He figured out her game and he was ready to play.

After the bar closed for the night, Brock promised Reba to get Mike upstairs to bed safely. He was all over the place. If Mike thought that getting drunk would solve his problem of resisting Reba, he was sorely mistaken. That just made Reba more determined. Her mind went back to what she could remember about that night in Vegas. What a night! She knew that she could be very persuasive when she wanted to be and she wanted to be just that persuasive tonight.

She entered the bedroom after Brock had put Mike to bed. The room was very dark. Reba could hardly see. She only hoped that Mike would be able to see enough to drive him crazy with wanting her. She turned on the song, In the Air Tonight. It was the song that he played during her bachelorette party in the apartment. She was carrying a bottle of champagne. She started her sexy striptease.

Mike always loved that. That's what she did for him in Vegas right after they exchanged vows. He groaned with frustration and aching want from Reba's actions. She leaned over him and grabbed a pair of handcuffs out from the drawer of the bedside table. She proceeded to handcuff him to the bed. "I'm gonna make you beg to make love to me. There will be no gettin' out of this tonight. Don't you wanna make love to your wife?" She saw him nod his head in the dark. "Good. I promise to be gentle until the handcuffs come off. I don't want you to use your hands right now. It's my turn to love you."

Reba began a long, slow exploration of his body. She removed his clothing and worked to satisfy his needs. She did her job well. He'd got the release and she'd gotten him ready again. "Please, baby." She got him to beg. His voice was low sounded as if he were in pain, barely able to speak. She finally got him to beg and she released the handcuffs. He grabbed her and rolled her under him. He began his own slow exploration. He poured the champagne on her and tasted it on her skin. Reba did the same. It was unlike anything that they'd done before. When Reba had been thoroughly satisfied many times, she fell asleep in his arms.

Reba began to dream. She saw Terry. He guided her to a playground where she saw two children playing. She saw a little girl with long red hair running to the swings, followed by a little boy with blonde hair. She heard a man call out to tell the kids to slow down. He came running after them. "Push me first. You promised," the girl told him. "Okay, sweetie. Let's wait for Mommy." Reba was shocked to see Brock's face when the man turned around.

Reba took off like a shot. She ran like the wind was at her heels. She had to get away from this. That was not what she wanted for her future. She was going to live in Oklahoma and raise a family with Mike. It was the fresh start that she'd waited so long for. She ran straight into Brock, who looked at her puzzled. "Get away from me and get away from my kid! Do you understand?" Brock didn't understand why she was so angry. She led him back to where she'd seen him before with the kids. They watched as observers as Brock took turns pushing each of the kids on the swings. "Two? There are two children comin' in the future now."

Reba whipped her head around angrily. "They are mine! I don't see them callin' you Daddy so just stay away from me. Please don't do anything to ruin this. I want this. I just don't want this with you. I've had it up to here with raising my children alone. We put Jake and Kyra through the wringer. I don't want any more children to suffer like that. Please go away! I'm beggin' you to just leave me alone." Reba put her hand up to stop Brock from talking any further. She stood there and watched the children play while Brock stepped back behind her. She thought that he'd left. He stayed just far enough away to make Reba comfortable. He wanted to stay and watch the kids too.

Reba flew up in bed. She was sitting up full of panic. Watching the children still hadn't brought her any peace. She needed to solidify things with Mike immediately. It was still the middle of the night. The bedroom was still dark without even the presence of moonlight. It was three o'clock in the morning. She woke Mike up beside her and began kissing him. "I need you to make love to me again. Please! I need you so much right now. I just feel so alone right now. I don't want to feel alone anymore."

He didn't have to be asked twice. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathlessly. They joined together two more times before Reba finally feel asleep satisfied in his arms. The next morning didn't bring that feeling of peace and oneness that she'd hoped that she'd feel with Mike. Instead, she would feel shock and panic again. She woke up slowly. She stirred in his arms. He woke up and kissed her forehead. "Mmm, good morning. We should wake up like this every morning," she said to him, sighing peacefully. Her inner peace wouldn't last long.

"I'm gonna hold ya to that." His hands were moved along her body to explore her again. She moaned and then opened her eyes to look into his. That's when the shock and panic set in.

"Brock, what are you doin' here?"

"If I have to tell ya, then I must not be doin' it right."

Reba's hand flew to her mouth. She looked under the sheet. She and Brock were both naked under the covers. Reba pulled the covers up around her. She sat up against the headboard. "This is bad, really bad. This is worse than how you and I got together in the first place. I didn't cheat on Mike before. I've cheated on Mike and you've cheated on Barbra Jean. Why am I not surprised? You don't have any problem committing adultery. You do it like some people change underwear."

"You take that back! I didn't seduce you. You just came on in here, stripped down, handcuffed me to the bed, and had your way with me."

"I will not take back anything that I've said. You could've said something, anything. Didn't you find it strange that I would come in here and do that? If you say that you thought that I was Barbra Jean, I'm gonna slap you. At least, I can honestly say that I didn't know that it was you. I thought that it was Mike. This is our bed. What are you doin' here in my bed anyway?"

Before Brock could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Hey honey, good morning. Why is the door locked?" Reba froze to the spot. Brock's features began to look as worried as Reba's did. Reba got up from the bed without thinking about her state of undress. She threw his clothes at him and told him to get into the closet, and then she quickly put on her robe to answer the door.

Brock pulled his clothes on quickly. He was anxiously to find out how Reba would handle Mike under the circumstances. Reba had accused him of committing adultery. Little did she know that this was not the case here with him. Brock was hoping that there was some way that let Reba out of her marriage to Mike on a technicality. He didn't like the idea that he and Reba were never married. He was running out of ideas. Last night had been sensational, but it saddened him to see how upset Reba was when she woke up in his arms. It had been quite a night for both of them and Brock woke up happy for the first time in quite a while. Too bad Reba didn't feel the same. Brock had to figure out a way to convince Reba that they belonged together...

What will Brock do to try to convince Reba to give him another chance? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? How will Reba handle sharing the apartment with Brock after what just happened between them? Who will Brock turn to for help? How will the rest of the weekend turn out? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

_Dear Readers-_

_I think that we have only 2-3 chapters before we transition from Believe in Love Again into the supplemental story, Reba Nell Got Married. If you have any ideas for Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, Deceived, or Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks._

_There is still a poll question on my FF profile. __Should Brock keep spying on Reba? Please let me know what you think. I only got a couple of responses. Thanks._

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Many readers have asked when the next chapter for Drop Dead Hero will be posted. I am working on it. I never post anything that I'm not happy with. I work on one chapter for each story for days, writing, editing, and revising. Now that I'm juggling two stories, it takes me longer to update. My goal is to post an update for Drop Dead Hero this week. __That won't be easy because I just started a new job so I'm working full time during the day and going to college at night. I'll do my best to update as much as I can. I also have a new update of Deceived coming up soon._

_Shout out to __Chatte578__: Thanks for your feedback! I hope that you liked the Breba moments in this chapter. Don't worry there will be more Breba moments ahead. Brock will figure out a way to get Reba to stop being mad at him. His goal is to reunite with Reba so he has to find a way to get her to break up with Mike and take him back. I hope that you liked the scenes where Reba got jealous. There should be more of those ahead. I also really like your story, Our Love Child. I hope that another chapter is on its way soon._

_Shout out to __kaity120boom__: Thanks for taking the time to review even if Believe in Love Again isn't your favorite story. Don't worry. Another chapter of Drop Dead Hero is on its way soon._

_Shout out to RMandMSFan: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that Believe in Love Again is one of your favorite stories. Barbra Jean will continue to guide Brock with ideas for wooing Reba. Brock will try many things to woo Reba. This was only one of them. Cliffhangers keep readers coming back to read more. There's fun to use too. I will be using them in a few upcoming chapters, but I will try not to leave you in suspense too long. _

_Shout out to __Dr. Michaela Quinn: Thanks for your encouragement! I love your story, Reba's Dream. I can't wait to find out what happens next!_

_Shout out to __merylandrebafan: Thank you for the awesome praise! I love your chapter updates of Afraid to Sleep. I really appreciate your feedback on my stories. I'm so glad that you enjoy reading them. Thanks for all of your encouragement on my newest story, Deceived!_

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_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.**

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Disclaimer: The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired.

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	42. The Next Day

**Title: Believe in Love Again**

**Chapter 42: The next day **

**Time:** **September-December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)**

**Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Jack Morgan, Brian Collins, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.**

**Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: ****Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, Frank Campbell, and Maggie****.**

**Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs**

**Now on with the story- **

This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.

Previously- Reba's hand flew to her mouth. She looked under the sheet. She and Brock were both naked under the covers. Reba pulled the covers up around her. She sat up against the headboard. "This is bad, really bad. This is worse than how you and I got together in the first place. I didn't cheat on Mike before. I've cheated on Mike and you've cheated on Barbra Jean. Why am I not surprised? You don't have any problem committing adultery. You do it like some people change underwear."

"You take that back! I didn't seduce you. You just came on in here, stripped down, handcuffed me to the bed, and had your way with me."

"I will not take back anything that I've said. You could've said something, anything. Didn't you find it strange that I would come in here and do that? If you say that you thought that I was Barbra Jean, I'm gonna slap you. At least, I can honestly say that I didn't know that it was you. I thought that it was Mike. This is our bed. What are you doin' here in my bed anyway?"

Before Brock could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Hey honey, good morning. Why is the door locked?" Reba froze to the spot. Brock's features began to look as worried as Reba's did. Reba got up from the bed without thinking about her state of undress. She threw his clothes at him and told him to get into the closet, and then she quickly put on her robe to answer the door.

Brock pulled his clothes on quickly. He was anxiously to find out how Reba would handle Mike under the circumstances. Reba had accused him of committing adultery. Little did she know that this was not the case here with him. Brock was hoping that there was some way that let Reba out of her marriage to Mike on a technicality. He didn't like the idea that he and Reba were never married. He was running out of ideas. Last night had been sensational, but it saddened him to see how upset Reba was when she woke up in his arms. It had been quite a night for both of them and Brock woke up happy for the first time in quite a while. Too bad Reba didn't feel the same. Brock had to figure out a way to convince Reba that they belonged together...

What will Brock do to try to convince Reba to give him another chance? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? How will Reba handle sharing the apartment with Brock after what just happened between them? Who will Brock turn to for help? How will the rest of the weekend turn out? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!

The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.

Now on with our next chapter-

Reba answered the door for Mike stoically. She was determined not to let on to what had actually happened with Brock last night. She also didn't want to let Mike think that he got away with not coming to bed last night. "I see that you remembered where our bedroom is."

"Oh, you're mad."

"Yeah, I'm more than a little upset with you." Reba saw that Mike was holding a tray in his hands. It looked Mike had been busy in the kitchen that morning. He made her scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Her guilt doubled. It cut her anger at him in half. She was in no place to judge him after what happened last night. She still wondered why he put her in this awkward situation in the first place. What happened? Why was Brock in her bed last night instead of Mike? "You made the pancakes in the shape of hearts. You know how much I love that. What happened last night?"

"I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that the woman I love doesn't want to marry me. I started drinking. At first it was because we were just having a good time, then it was because I realized that you may not ever love me as much as I love you. I know that you'd seduce me just to get your own way on the marriage issue. I talked to Brock about it and he told me to spend the night on the couch. I was so wasted at the end of the night that I was grateful that he'd helped me get upstairs. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just need to know that we both feel that same way and that this relationship is headed to a place where we both want it to go."

Reba put her hand to his cheek. Tears glistened her eyes. "How could you not know? I love you. My plan is to spend the rest of my life with my husband. I waited last night to dance with my husband before we went to bed. So the way I see it, you owe me a dance, Cowboy."

Mike smirked. "Your husband, huh? Do you wanna dance like that, dressed in your bathrobe? By the way, where is your husband? I don't remember Miss Reba McKinney-Hart bein' the marryin' kind. "

"I'm lookin' at him." Reba stood there, eyeing him for his reaction. "Apparently you and I are still hitched by some miracle or fate. I don't know."

"Is that right?" he asked. He wanted to see how she felt about the situation before expressing how he felt about their situation.

"Yeah. Why didn't you tell me about it? I had to hear it from Frank, Kim's idiot kid brother of a lawyer. Have you known long? Did you know when you showed up in Houston? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in simple curiosity. She didn't want this to turn into an argument. They both had quick tempers.

"I needed to know how you felt. I needed to make sure that it was what you wanted. I needed proof that it was real. I had to prove to you that I could be a better husband to ya this time."

"Are you about done? 'Cause I'm ready to show you how I feel about the situation."

"Now you want to be my wife? What is it about cowgirls like you? Fiercely independent and stubborn. Can't make the right decision until you've tried all the wrong ones." He couldn't help blowing his top. He begs her to marry him and she doesn't want to. But now, she's legally bound to him and it's okay that they're married. He didn't want her to be his wife under duress. He wanted her to want to be his wife. He wasn't so sure that her quick acceptance was such a good thing.

"At least, I'm willin' to fight for what I want!"

"What is it that you want, Reba? I don't even think that you know. Two nights ago, you wouldn't even let me propose to ya."

"You're the first boy that I ever kissed, Mike. I want you to be the last."

"Maybe you and I already had our chance. There are still papers to sign to make this marriage a legal one."

"I want to be your wife. That's what I'm tellin' ya." Reba's temper was flaring up, too. She threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, have it your way, you stubborn mo-ron."

"What do you want to be married to me for anyhow?"

Reba knew that Mike had tried every trick in the book from every romantic movie that they'd ever seen. It was her turn. She walked up to him until they were nose to nose. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. It was a soul-searching kiss. The kiss was interrupted by the ringing of Mike's cell phone. It was Sam, calling about some business at the restaurant. Mike got off the phone as soon as he could. "Sorry, it was Sam."

"No, problem. You know if you wanted to get him off the phone faster, you could've told him that you were in the middle of makin' up with your nearly naked wife. That would've been uncomfortable enough to get him off the line."

"I'd like to see you try that with one of your own kids."

Reba laughed. "Touché. You know we need to establish some ground rules. Every good marriage has rules."

"Rules, again? It's like Brock always said. You're one strange woman," Mike responded jokingly.

"I'm worth it, you know. We're going to be together for the next forty or fifty years or so."

"You've got a lifetime sentence planned for the poor guy who's married to you."

Reba smacked him upside the head. He was too much like Brock sometimes. She'd forgotten that. She needed to let her husband know how things were going to be. She was the injured party here and the reconciliation was going to start off her way. "Hey, I'm going to make you very happy. Marriage is not a jail sentence. It can be the most wonderful way to spend the rest of your life in the arms of the person that you love."

"I guess so if you plan to dress like that for me all the time," he teased.

Reba looked down at the robe and blushed. By this time, she'd forgotten all about Brock being in the closet. It had completely left her mind. "Now back to the rules," she reminded. "Rule one: No matter how much we've quarreled, we never go to bed without having kissed the other. Rule two: We are never apart from each other for more than two weeks."

"No. I think we should reduce it to one week. But we don't need the rule because I won't ever leave you alone again," he responded.

Reba continued. "Rule three: We always spend our anniversary in bed. Rule four: The children always come first. No matter what else is important. Rule five: We'll always be there for each other whenever one of us needs the other. Rule six: We can talk about anything with each other. Rule seven: We always kiss at bedtime and fall asleep, arm in arm every night. Rule eight: We dance together before we go to bed every night. Finally, rule nine: No talkin' about our exes in the bedroom. This is our sanctuary. We don't need Brock and Kim invadin' it. It can really spoil the mood."

"Is the mood spoiled? Because I'm just about to agree to all your rules," he said, leaning in for another kiss.

Reba put her hand up to stop him. "Sorry, honey. I have a headache."

"Oh, really?" Mike waited for what she had to say next.

"Yeah. Ask your old buddy, Brock. One of my headaches lasted a whole year."

"Where is Brock this mornin'? Have you seen him?"

"How am I supposed to know? I haven't been out of this room yet this morning. You know, Brock may live in my house, but I am not his keeper." Reba reacted nervously. The thoughts of last night that she pushed to the back of her mind were resurfacing. "You're dressed and I'm not. I don't like the fact that you have me at a disadvantage. When I'm done gettin' dressed, you and I are gonna have a serious heart-to-heart."

Reba walked into the closet to change into some clothes. She walked into the closet, flipped the light switch on, and shut the door. Brock grabbed her from behind as soon as the door was shut. Reba was caught off guard because she wasn't paying any attention. She was busy trying to find clothes to change into. She'd temporarily forgotten that Brock was in the closet. Brock spoke low into her ear. "Forget something or someone? You may not be my keeper, but you can have that job back anytime you'd like. You see the only Hart-to-Hart talk will be between you and me right after you make him go away. We have some things to discuss."

"No, he's right out there. I need to square some things away with him first. He's my husband. That's gonna come first." Reba dropped her robe and moved to change into a sweatshirt and jeans as fast as she could.

At first, Brock was shocked. Then he stood there, holding her bra and underwear in his hand with a smirk on his face. "I figured that you might need these."

"Don't make a big deal outta this. It was a mistake, okay. I should've gotten dressed before I let him into the room. You've seen me naked tons of times before so it's not a big deal if you see me changin' my clothes," she hissed at him in a whisper. She snatched the undergarments from his hand. "You're so smug and casual about this like it's some kind of prank or somethin'. You'd be as freaked out as I am if your wife was on the other side of the door right now."

"Not in the least. I actually want my wife to pay attention to me. I wonder if she even notices me as a person or as a man anymore."

Reba put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about that. Really I am, but I have to get out there and sort things out with Mike. Promise me that you'll forget that last night ever happened."

"I don't think that I can do that, honey."

"Okay, then promise me that you won't tell anyone about last night. Please?"

Reba gave him the puppy-dog eyes and Brock caved. "Okay, but you have to promise to talk to me about it later. At some point, we will have to sort this out."

"Sure. Just sit tight until I'm done out there."

Reba casually walked back out through the adjoining bathroom and into the bedroom. She made sure that the closet door was shut behind her. "Okay, I'm back and fully dressed. Let's talk. There are things about me that you don't know. If you did, I'm not so sure that you'd wanna be married to be. So it's confession time, let's start at the beginning. While you were gone in Dallas, I wasn't just sittin' around waitin' for you to come back. I tried to move on. I knew that I loved you, but it hurt so much. You didn't call or write so I found myself moving on. It just happened. I met Greg when junior high started. We were friends. He wanted more and we grew into that. We dated until the end of ninth grade, but that's not the whole story."

"Okay, let's hear it. We lived separate lives back then."

"Yes, but you thought that I just sat around waitin' for you. You liked it that I was pure and innocent for you. I wasn't so innocent. It happened when my grandfather died. I was so miserable. I was grieving so much. He wanted to comfort me. One thing led to another and we ended up in my bed together."

"So, he was the first?"

"No, it didn't get that far. We were both naked and things were hot and heavy, but Maddi interrupted us. She knocked on my bedroom door."

"Well, I've never been so happy to see Maddi butt in before. Her nosiness came in handy this time."

"Well after that, I realized that I wasn't ready for sex so I asked him to be patient and wait until I was ready. He agreed. Four months later, you came back into town. I realized that I wanted to be with you, but I had no way of knowing that you'd be comin' back to stay. I cheated on Greg with you. He found out about it. I broke up with him as soon as I knew that you were comin' back. I didn't want to lead him on anymore. Before that, he set up a little test to see if I would cheat on him. He asked his best friend to flirt with me all summer long. The friend was Tommy Johnson. He was messin' around with Kim in secret and flirtin' with me in public. After I broke up with Greg, he asked me out. I didn't know that I was walkin' into a trap. You know most of the rest, except for one major thing. You have to promise not to do anything if I tell you."

"That sounds bad."

"Yeah, it is. Please promise not to take action against Tommy or Greg. I don't wanna see you end up in jail."

"What happened, Sal?"

"Greg swears that he didn't know what Tommy planned. Tommy took me out. When he drove out to the secluded spot that he bragged about, he tried to force himself on me. I was terrified. He had a knife. I got away. I never told anyone. My parents never found out. They weren't around much back then. I've only told you, Kim, Paige, Barbra Jean, Max, and Brock. Kim stopped being my friend after the date with Tommy. She believed his lies. She thought that I was tryin' to steal her man so she decided to hurt me by stealin' you away from me. If you had moved back in June, none of it would've ever happened. It happened because I was stupid and trustin'. I was naive. It wasn't anyone's fault, but mine. I made the choice to go on the date without parental permission and against my best friend's wishes. I just wish that I could go back in time and change things. I'd make things up to Kim and Greg so they'd never have a reason to hurt me later on."

"You keep saying Greg. Do you mean the same Greg that Paige is engaged to marry?"

Reba nodded. "Lori Ann said something once that stuck with me. What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. She said that on the night that Kim helped me sneak out to meet you at the first party. Well, my web is huge. It's so big that I tangle myself up in it."

"Sal, you know that Kim, Greg, and Tommy were wrong to hurt you like that. Everybody makes mistakes when they're young. You were barely fifteen at the time. It's okay. I want to do somethin' about it, but I won't because I promised you. You have my word. I just can't believe that a guy like that is goin' to marry our Paige."

"Yeah, he's still obsessed with the whole thing too. He still wants revenge on you and me because I cheated on him with you. He really loved me and I hurt him. I wasn't honest. I didn't love him back like I should've and I led him on. I hurt him badly."

"That's not an excuse for somethin' that happened almost thirty years ago."

"It was enough for him to try to hurt me a couple of weeks ago. He knows about the magic in my family. I was honest about that with him. He thought it was cool so I got to try my magic anytime I wanted around him. Later on, he and others called me a freak for it. When he came to Houston, he knew that I wasn't Paige and he tried to make a move on me. Brock came inside and beat him up. Then he came back here with his tail between his legs."

"Okay, so was that it? Man, we gotta find a way to get Paige away from that guy."

"I'm working on that. There's more for me to confess. My magic can get outta control when I'm angry. That's probably why Nana sets the rules for me. She still does and I'm into my forties. When I found out that Terry was expecting more on prom night, I got really angry with him. Things went a little outta control so he found out about the magic. I had to calm myself down or I would've really hurt him. I turned you into a frog once."

"I think I remember that, but your grandmother tried to convince me that it was just a dream."

"There have been many, many times when I wanted to turn you into somethin'. That's why it's against the rules. It didn't seem like fun for that guy on Bewitched."

"I'm just gettin' used to be married to a Samantha."

"But your mother-in-law is powerless so she's no Endora."

"But your grandmother is. Your grandmother is the Endora in this family."

Reba smiled. "Yeah, you better watch out. She's tried to do awful things to Brock. Anyway, speaking of Brock, here's the next confession. I wanted to teach Brock a lesson for tryin' to destroy the wedding. You should already know about this from the video. I flirted with him and kissed him so I could trick him into a place where I could hurt him. The confession is that sometime that night I almost didn't go through with the plan. I started to like him. I started to become attracted to him. When we ended up on the floor of this room together, I wasn't acting. I was making out with him for real. I got in control of my senses in enough time to follow through with the plan. I was scared. I didn't understand how I could be attracted to another man and still be so in love with you. Nana explained the whole thing to me."

"What?"

"See the women in my family all end up with two important loves in our lives. One is the soul mate and the other is the distraction. The distraction feels real and can become real. I'm not makin' this up. Papa was Nana's distraction and Gramps is her soul mate. It's sad really. My father is my mother's soul mate and your father is my mother's distraction. Brock is my distraction."

"All of a sudden, I'm honored and less threatened."

"Thank you. There's more. I slept with Max."

"I knew that."

"What?"

"Max is a stand-up guy. When I went to see him, we talked. He was very clear about what happened. So, you dated on and off for the past five years or so."

"That's not all. I got drunk and slept with him after John died. When I woke up, I freaked out and drove back to you immediately without a word to him. I'm amazed that he actually forgave me for that. We haven't had a relationship at all. We are friends. We were friends with benefits. It was simple and strictly physical. It's been over for months."

"Since March, I know. But there's more to it than that."

"He helped me whenever I needed him. He became an on-demand booty call. It started on the night Brock married Barbra Jean. I showed up at the hotel. I watched the reception like some poor lovesick fool. I ended up at the bar. Max was at the hotel on business. He saw me at the bar. I was a mess. I was the one who came onto him, but I promise you that I'm over that whole thing. There's more. I was worried about continuing to need Max's friendship, not the physical side of things. So back in June, I met a guy online. We're just friends, but he's there for me to talk to. It's nice. I have no romantic interest in him whatsoever."

"So you share with Brock and this other guy? Is there a place in there somewhere for me? I should be the one that you come to for talkin' about anythin' and everythin'."

"I know. I'm workin' on my issues. Okay, now we're at that weekend in June. You know that I slept with another man. There was neediness and alcohol involved..."

"I slept with Kim that night, the night that you set us up on the date. I didn't mean for it to happen. But because it happened, I knew that I didn't want her anymore. I realized that I only want you and that's when I started plannin' to move to Houston."

Reba felt her temper rising again. "Maybe I should be grateful that you didn't sleep with Maddi, too."

"Don't be ridiculous. I have no interest in your cousin ever. Kim and I share a history and you told her to figure out if there was something left between us. It happened and now we know that there's nothin' left. I was devastated. I thought that I lost you. You pushed me away. You're the one who's supposed to be my wife and the mother of my children."

Reba smiled at the thought of being his wife and the mother of his children again. "Yeah, Jack. I know. I love you more than anythin' in the world. I'm just a little shocked and hurt."

"You're not so lily white in this mess, are ya? You slept with someone else, too. I'd say that makes us even."

"I guess so. I think that sleeping with Kim is at least worth a pout on my part. You know how I feel about the two of you. I'm always jealous and scared."

"That's how I feel about you and Brock. He lives in your house. The two of you are only separated by a wall. That's hard for me to take, too. Can you imagine how hard it would be for me if you two slept together?"

"Yeah, well that's not gonna happen. There's nothing left there to worry about. He'll be back together with Barbra Jean in no time. Speaking of which, how do we get our marriage back on track?"

"Well to make the marriage legal, you have to sign a paper. We both sign to say that we didn't intend to commit bigamy. It reinstates our marriage and invalidates our marriages to Brock and Kim."

"You want me to sign a paper that says that I was never married to Brock and you were never married to Kim. What about the kids?"

"What about them? They've been okay with things the way they are for awhile now."

"Mike, I refuse to sign any paper that tells my kids that their happy childhood and family was a lie. You should be worried about sending that message to your own kids, too."

Mike scoffed. "Happy? I remember tons of times when you cried on my shoulder about how miserable you were with Brock. He couldn't even bother to show up at the hospital when you were havin' Kyra and Jake."

Reba sat down on the bed and Mike sat down next to her. "I know, but we had some good times. We had sixteen happy years. I just came down to Oklahoma when things were bad so all you heard was the bad stuff. There were good times, just like I'm sure that there were good times between you and Kim too." Mike was silent at this point. "I want to marry you someday. I'm not ready to be an instant wife. My first duty is to my children. This will shock them and hurt them. I can't do that to them. I know that I can get them used to the idea by December."

"What about the baby?"

"This weekend was not supposed to be about gettin' pregnant. It's the wrong time of the month for that. I just wanted to get that intimacy back with you. We've still got an appointment with the specialist comin' up."

"No, I mean John. His birth certificate and headstone say McKinney. My name isn't listed as his father. I want him to have my name. If I agree to back things off until December, will you agree to consider changing his name to John Holliway? You were my wife and he was my son."

"How about John McKinney-Holliway?"

"You're a tough negotiator and you are so beautiful." He kisses her. "I'm sorry I was so stupid. I just didn't know what to do, but I know I want you. I just need a second chance."

"You're so dense you might need a fourth or fifth."

"I'll take whatever I can. I love you."

"I hope that's not just the leftover alcohol in your system talking."

"No, it's not."

"Good, 'cause I love you."

"I think that I've loved you since that first day I saw you that day in the mall before the party. I felt love for you before, but I wasn't sure that I truly loved you until that moment. You were just walkin' along smilin' and laughin'."

"What about when I had my hand slidin' up your pants during those heated sessions in the closet?"

Mike smiled. "Definitely the beginning of the passion in our relationship."

"Men are so easy. All I have to do is get you into a closet."

"Oh, yeah." He kisses her again. She wraps her arms around him and they dance together without any music, just the rhythm of their hearts. It was like there was like they were the only two people in the world. They held onto each other as they started floating into the air. Just then, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered played on the radio. No one turned the radio on. "Thank your grandmother for me. I'm definitely grateful that she fell for the distraction because it brought me you. What about the radio and the floating?"

"The radio was definitely her. The floating is me, well us. Things are magical when we're together."

"I dare ya to make things like this happen around others like Brock."

"Sure, when you have that man-to-man chat with him about us gettin' married. You have to get his permission and my children's permission. I've already had that talk with Kim. Man up and get it over with. Until you do, I'm gonna keep saying no. I want to say yes, so make it soon." The floating stopped and they were both back on solid ground.

"I'll get right on that. I have a big day planned for us so you'd better get ready to go. I've planned a great day so hurry up." Mike kissed Reba on her nose.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Cowboy." She grabbed him and pulled him to her in another soul searching kiss. She felt the sparks that flew between them. She pulled away first. She let him out the door. She wanted to eat her breakfast before it turned completely cold. Paige rushed into her room before she could do that. She desperately needed some advice from her big sister. She grabbed a pancake off the tray and ate it fast.

"Geez, Paige. That was my breakfast. Mike made me breakfast in bed."

"How'd it go last night? Did ya finally hit the sheets together?"

Reba shook her head. "Nah, he got rip-roaring drunk and slept it off on the couch. The breakfast is a peace offering."

"I stayed out all night. Don't ya wanna know where I was?"

"I figured that you'd tell me when you were ready."

"I slept with Michael last night!" Paige blurted.

"Michael, as in your husband?"

Paige nodded. "I'm not sure how I feel about that. It was amazing. We were always very compatible in that regard, but I'm engaged to marry another man. I don't wanna be married to him. I did once, but not anymore. I really do love Greg."

"Ugh, don't tell me that."

"What do ya have against him?"

"For starters, how much has he told ya about his past?"

"He's had a hard time trusting women. He had this ex who made him miserable. He really loved her and she cheated on him a lot."

"Paige, I didn't wanna have to be the one to tell you this. That Greg that I told you about is Greg Brooks, my ex and best friend of Tommy Johnson. Now put his side of the story with mine and you'll see what happened. I'm your sister and I'd never lie to ya. You have to believe me."

"I definitely suspected something last night. He was lookin' at you the whole time you were on stage. It made me really uncomfortable. Between that, the alcohol, and Michael singin' and flirtin' with me on stage, something was bound to happen between me and Michael.

"So stick with Michael. He's your husband. He loves you. Greg doesn't really deserve you, Paige. Do you really wanna marry someone who's dated your sister?"

"But I love him. It's been over between you and Greg for decades. He says that I'm his dream come true."

"Paige, he's the distraction. We can sleep with the distraction. We can have a hot sweaty fling with the distraction, but we don't marry the distraction. True love is your soul's recognition of its counter point in another. We marry our soul mates. That is our destiny. Don't ruin your destiny. When you come together with your soul mate, it can be very magical."

"It was pretty magical last night."

"Did the floating thing happen?"

"Yeah, right away when he kissed me after we got back to his place."

"Mike and I had that happen between us this morning. It was electric and so special. It had been so long since that type of thing happen between us."

"You really need to marry him ASAP. He's so good for you. You're much nicer and less of a pain in the rear when you're happy and in love."

"Thanks, I think. You don't have to decide the rest of your life right now. Why don't you take some time to sort things out? You could always see both of them until you can make up your mind."

"Reba! That's awful. I don't wanna cheat on Greg."

Reba smiled with glee. "You already did. Poor Greg seems destined to get cheated on by a McKinney girl. You've already done the crime. Someday you'll have to pay for it. Might as well have some fun in the meantime. It really was worth it in my case. Mike is so amazing. I'm glad that I took the risk to go after him. We were in the closet last night during dinner and it was just like it was the first time. We've snuck away from the family before, but this time was different. I felt it down deep in my heart. I felt that love. It will never go away. He loves me and I love him. Something just hit me right then. He's the one that I want to marry and spend the rest of my life with."

"I envy you. I wanna be sure like that."

"Someday, you will. It will hit you right between the eyes and you'll know without a shadow of a doubt." The two sisters shared a smile and a hug. Paige was so grateful that Reba was back home. She missed her so much when she was in Houston. "I've got to get ready because Mike has a special day planned for the two of us." Paige quickly scurried out of the room to let Reba finish getting ready. Reba locked the door so no one would find out who was hiding in her closet. She went to go deal with her own pain in the rear. He stood there, smiling at her. "What?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"You're the most adorable woman that I've ever met." Reba rolled her eyes at him. His hand went up to caress her cheek and left it there. "I mean it."

Reba lightly groaned. "That's some line of bull that you're shovelin'."

"Come on, you've already done the crime. How about some fun in the meantime before you have to pay for your crime? Wanna have a hot sweaty fling with me?"

Reba laughed. "Come on, Brock. That ship has sailed. I'm marryin' another man, who's one of your best friends. Get serious. You're a married man."

"I am bein' serious. I am 110% completely serious. It's just sex, right? You've done the same thing with Max. So, why not with me?"

"I'm not dumb like Barbra Jean. You must really think that I'm stupid, right? You don't even know how to use a condom. I'm having a baby with Mike Holliway and no one else. Understand?"

"You weren't worried about a condom last night."

"I was perfectly safe last night. You and I both know that we haven't been so lucky before."

"The end result was three terrific kids. We were very lucky, Reba."

"The answer is no, Brock. There's no way in the world that I'd agree to somethin' that crazy."

"How about makin' a little wager on that?"

"No way!" Reba's eyes blazed.

"What's the matter, Reba? Are you afraid that I'll get you into bed again? If you're so sure that it'll never happen, then you should take the bet. I think that you're afraid that we'll end up in bed together again," he taunted.

"No! I'll take that bet. You're gonna lose. There's no way that I'll ever agree to have an affair with you. I'm not doin' the casual sex thing anymore, no matter how great last night was. Understand?"

"How great did you think it was last night?" He stood there, smirking again as he waited for her answer.

"Better than it's ever been before between us, but not so good that I'm willin' to throw away the rest of my life for it."

"It was pretty great, wasn't it?" He beamed at her words. She thought that it was the best they'd ever had so he had to hang onto that thought.

"I'm not sayin' another word about it. I have to take a shower and get ready."

"Go ahead. By all means, take your shower."

"You're in here with me, you mo-ron. You're such a pervert. Are you gonna watch me take a shower? Go back in the closet."

"Wanna make out with me in the closet?"

Reba looked at him disgusted. Now he was taking things too far. "Not even if you paid me a million dollars, Hart. There's not enough money in the world to get me to knowingly cheat on my husband. You're gonna lose just like you did during the race at Jake's school. I'm tough and stubborn. When I set my mind to somethin', there's no changin' it."

"You're goin' down, Red. You're headed for a rude awakening, McKinney. You see the distraction doesn't like bein' called the distraction. This distraction has somethin' to prove. Did you ever think that maybe Mike is the distraction and I'm the one?"

Reba scoffed. "Yeah, sure. That's why you had to break up a wedding and try to steal the bride. You toyed with me as long as you wanted and left when the fun was over. That has distraction written all over it. You have Barbra Jean now. You don't need me. Playtime is over. Time to get serious. I'm seriously in love with Mike Holliway." She turned away from Brock and started to undress to get into the shower. She started the water in the shower. She stepped in. She started to wash her hair and soap her body. The shower door opened to her shock. Brock stepped in, getting his clothes wet. He captured her lips fiercely and ran his hands up and down the sides of her body. His hands were covered in the soap that was rinsing down. He just kept kissing her, then he stopped and step away.

"Look, things aren't so cut and dried as you thought, huh? You want me and I'll be waiting for ya, Red."

"I wish that there was a way to surgically cut you out of my life. I wish that I had a time machine so I could go back and change things so this would never happen. If I did, I'd be married to Mike Holliway and the name Brock Hart would mean nothin' to me."

"That's too bad 'cause I'm just gettin' warmed up. You are my counterpoint, Reba. No one but you."

"What a line of bull. That's just like the time you said 'there's a hole where my heart should be' to Barbra Jean to keep her from moving to Little Rock. You're good at conning women. I'll give you that. Get outta my way. I've got a romantic date to go on with the man who still makes my heart soar after twenty-eight years. Please go home. Go back to your wife and leave me in peace."

"Would you believe me if I said that's what I'm tryin' to do?" Reba just shook her head at him.

Mike took Reba on a picnic in their favorite spot near the creek that ran alongside the McKinney and Holliway properties. He packed her favorite food and her favorite love songs. He played them and they danced. He didn't miss a thing. He even packed their suits so they could go for a swim. Reba jumped on the old rope and swung on it over the water. She yelled and let go into the water below. They agreed on the spot of land that Reba had her eye on the day before when she was out with the kids for their new house. Reba was lying in Mike's arms on the blanket that was on the spot where their house would be built. They spent about four hours together, enjoying each other's company when Reba realized that she had to get back to the apartment to cook dinner. Mike and Reba were gathering their families together so the kids could get to know each other. It was the perfect time to get their blessing for the wedding. It was also time for all four parents to iron out some custody arrangements for Jake, Josh, and little Terry.

Brock knew that the topic might come up someday, but he'd hoped that it never would. Reba was doing something that he never thought that she'd do. She was moving on and giving him the house and the kids. The house and the kids were the only things that she fought for during the divorce. It didn't matter to her anymore. He had to hand it to Mike Holliway. The guy was one heck of a distraction for Reba. She had blinders on where he was concerned. Throwing Reba off course was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He watched the two of them while Reba cooked dinner. Before he knew it, Mike pulled him to the side to ask for his blessing to marry Reba. It was really happening. What could he say? Reba gave Barbra Jean her blessing when Brock married her. He had to do the same. They were friends first and foremost.

He had to put her first ahead of his own selfish wants. He loved her enough to let her go if she really decided to marry Mike in December. He wasn't giving up without a fight though. Something was still there between them and Reba felt it too. He begrudgingly gave Mike his blessing. Now he knew how Reba felt back then. It was the hardest thing that he'd ever gone through, except for the day when he found Reba lying motionless in the apartment. She'd tried to take her own life because she couldn't be with Mike.

He wasn't going to let Mike put Reba in that sort of position ever again. It wasn't that he'd treated her much better because of the way that they broke up, but he never drove her to that type of desperate action. Then the thought occurred to him that Reba was feeling desperate when she ran off to McAlester. It occurred to him that it may have only been the baby that was keeping her alive back then. Brock felt truly ashamed of himself. He vowed to love, honor, and cherish this woman until death do us part and he had to start living up to his promise. He would rather die than hurt her again.

Reba and Kim were arguing in the kitchen. Both men knew before they entered the kitchen that Reba was still fuming about Kim sleeping with Mike back in June. Mike told Barbra Jean to take over the cooking. He lifted Reba up over his shoulder and carried her out of the apartment and downstairs to Holliway's with Reba still fuming; only this time it was directly at Mike. He set her down on her feet. "Are you ready to be reasonable now? Because you wouldn't want the kids to witness that little scene up there."

Reba nodded and sat down in a chair. "The woman makes me feel crazier than Barbra Jean does. She took me out to Victoria's Secret so we could shop for lingerie for me to wear for you. Then she goes off and sleeps with you after you and I have a fight. Do you get how insane that is?"

Mike pulled a chair over and sat down next to her. "I get it. I really do, but you've got to get control over your anger. We have to leave what's past in the past because there's no way to go back and change it. Neither of us can go back and take an eraser to our pasts. We are trying to do what's best for the children so we have to come to some sort of agreement together. That means putting aside our differences to get along like what you're done with Brock and Barbra Jean."

"I know that in my head, but my heart is something else entirely. I set up the date between you, but I never dreamed that you'd sleep together. I just wanted to be sure of what was meant to be in my life. So I've got another confession to make. Back in June, I was feelin' kinda desperate and lonely. I was vulnerable. The man that I told you about was Brock. I went out a couple of times with Brock."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Yes, but it didn't lead to anythin'. We were both lonely and it happened. I'm tryin' to help him get back together with Barbra Jean. I don't wanna be with him. I only wanna be with you." Reba took his face in her hands. She waited anxiously for his answer.

After about another minute, he answered, "You did have an opportunity to try again and you didn't take it. I guess that should answer my doubts. I know that you wanna be with me. I do. I just get as jealous as you do. I love you so much." He took her into his arms and hugged her.

Reba sighed with relief. It was out in the open now, except for the incident from last night. He knew that she'd dated Brock and still chose him so he could be secure in the knowledge that Reba only wanted him. The problem was that when Reba closed her eyes the events from last night were playing in her head. Things weren't as clear as she thought that they were. She knew that she didn't love Brock anymore, but that wasn't the point. Something was stirred up inside of her. It was the same thing that she felt for him when he kissed her before the wedding in Vegas all those years ago.

It was lust, plain and simple. She hoped that she'd rid herself of those feelings soon. She knew that she could if she were to take the relationship with Mike to a physical level. On the other hand, it would be nice to develop the relationship more slowly and build it into something deeper and meaningful. He seemed to want more than just her body and it was nice to be wanted like that from a man again. As she ran through the list of men that she dated over the years, she couldn't find one that wanted to connect with her for more than just her body, even Brian was eager to take her to bed after just a few dates.

Mike took her in his arms and led her over to the jukebox to dance. He put La Vie en Rose on and they danced softly swaying to the music. Reba felt a surge of happiness rise up within her. This was the way that she wanted to feel every day for the rest of her life. Once again, she felt loved, cherished, and special. This was the one. Reba knew it. No other man ever made her feel this way, not even Brock could be this charming and romantic. The song changed and the song, Sway could be heard. Mike took the opportunity to spin her around the floor. He spun her again, dipping and turning her. Reba couldn't help but be impressed by how romantic he was with her.

They found themselves seated at the dinner table that she borrowed from her grandmother, surrounded by Kim, Brock, Barbra Jean, Henry, Van, Elizabeth and the seven children that they all shared now. Baby John was asleep in the playpen in Reba's bedroom. An agreement had been reached between all the adults about custody. Reba made Mike's favorite meal. She made baked chicken. She never gave away her cooking secret. The chicken was coated with Shake 'n Bake.

Mike liked it and he never gave an indication that he knew that she didn't make the chicken with a recipe from scratch. She'd spent an hour preparing the meal before Mike carried her away. She made the mashed potatoes from scratch, but she cheated with the gravy. It was store bought. She made green beans from a can, too. What could she say? She wasn't the perfect housewife. Making everything from scratch would've taken her all afternoon and she wouldn't have enjoyed a great afternoon with Mike.

She watched Brock and Van eating the salad. She felt a sense of déjà vu. It almost felt like it did during family dinners when they were married. The kids seemed to be getting along. Kyra was talking to Nick. Cheyenne was talking to Jenny and Van was talking to Sam. Josh was getting to know Jake. Henry and Elizabeth were talking and laughing with little Terry. Reba felt so fulfilled. It was her dream for the kids to get along and become one big happy family. She rushed into the kitchen to pull the crescent rolls out of the oven. She checked on the cake to make sure that no one had snuck a piece yet. She made Mike's favorite cake and he never could resist sneaking a piece behind Reba's back.

He came up behind her and put his arms around her. "What a meal! It's perfect. The kids seem to be gettin' along and you've made your special cake to top it off, cinnamon-orange pound cake. I'm a lucky man. You're quite a woman. You have a special talent of seducing me with your cookin'."

"So, that's what it takes. You just wanna marry me for my cookin'."

Mike smiled. "Among other things." He turned her around to face him and kissed her.

Reba pushed him away. "Remember the kids are still at the table. I don't want them to see anythin'." He responded by pulling her into the pantry with him. Reba's head was reeling from the rush of feelings. She tried to keep from taking things too far. Her life was finally perfect and all the loose ends seemed to be tied up and out of their way. She remembered that the kids were at the dinner table. She pushed his hands off as they were sliding up her thigh. "The kids, remember? I think that it's time that we made our announcement." He nodded and they straightened their clothing before going back to the dinner table. Reba returned to the table with the fresh batch of crescent rolls.

"We have something to talk to you about. As you know, Mike and I have been datin'. Things are goin' a little fast, but that's to be expected since we've known each other so long. We want to spend the rest of our lives together. We've even talked about having another child together. So, we'd like to ask your permission to get married." Reba waited to see their reaction.

"When would you be getting married?" Cheyenne asked.

"New Years Eve, if that's okay with you," Reba answered.

"Where are you gonna live?" Jake asked.

Reba took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If we decide to get married, then I will move in with Mike after we get married. I've planned to sign the house back over to Brock. It's the right thing to do. It's a family home for you kids and we don't wanna sell it. Your dad worked hard for eighteen years to be able to afford that house. You and Henry will live with your dad there. Mike lives in a three bedroom apartment so you'll have a bedroom with us whenever you want to stay with us. You've been talkin' about livin' with your dad for awhile and I'm finally gonna let ya. If your dad gets back together with Barbra Jean, then Van and Cheyenne will get the house. It will be your choice where you wanna live. You can stay part time in the house with them and split weekends with me and your dad."

"So you'll let Jake live in the house with no adult supervision?" Kyra asked.

"No, Cheyenne and Van will be living there. They'll be in charge," Reba explained.

"Like I said, no adult supervision."

"Hey, I resent that, Kyra. We're adults now, aren't we, Mrs. H?"

"Yes, Van. You and Cheyenne have grown into adults. You've both grown up so much in the last six years. You have two children of your own. I'm really proud of both of you."

"Where was this mom when I was Jake's age? You would've done anything to keep me from livin' with Dad."

"Kyra, I did let you move in with your dad and he did a fine job with you. You got a chance to grow closer to him. I'm just givin' Jake the same chance. Your dad is a wonderful father to you kids."

"I would love to have Jakey around more," Barbra Jean commented. She reached over and hugged him tightly. Jake looked over at Reba. "Help me," he mouthed to her. She smiled at Barbra Jean's constant overwhelming outpour of love for the kids.

"What about the rest of your plans?" Sam asked. Leave it to Sam to get right to the heart of the matter. He inherited his directness from both Kim and Mike.

"We've decided that your mom will keep primary custody of Josh and Terry. You kids'll be with us every other weekend. One of those weekends will be spent in Houston and one of those weekends will be spent in McAlester," Mike answered to Sam.

"So we've got to get on a plane to spend time with you once a month? We've got to disrupt our lives because you wanna play happy family," Jake addressed both Mike and Reba.

"You and Josh are not forced to do anythin' that you don't wanna do. We just want to be fair to everyone here," Reba responded.

"Come on, Mom. We know that's not all. There's got to be somethin' else that you have to spring on us," Kyra remarked.

Reba sighed again, trying to find the words to tell her children rest of their plans. "We only plan on staying in the apartment in Houston for another year. We're movin' back here after that. We'll finish our degrees and get our teaching certifications in Oklahoma. We're having a house built here. It will be big enough for all of you to come and visit. You can stay with us anytime that you want."

"Where will Terry visit?" Elizabeth asked.

"Terry will visit me and his dad in Houston. We'll also come out here and he'll stay with us at our apartment. When he's in Houston, we'll bring him by to visit with you. If your mom and dad will let ya, then we'll bring you to visit us in McAlester," Reba explained.

That answer seemed to please Elizabeth, but not Henry. "What about me?"

"You'll live with your daddy at the house with your brothers and sisters. But I bet that your mom and dad will get back together and then you'll live at your house all the time," Reba answered.

"When will I visit you?" Henry asked.

"When I come to visit, I'll see you. Eventually I'll spend time at the house with you when I come to visit."

"Will you live in your room when you visit?" Elizabeth asked.

"No!" Reba and Mike responded in unison. They looked at each other and smiled. There was no way that Mike wanted to spend a night in a bedroom that Reba once shared with Brock. Reba knew that. "What we mean is that your grampy or your mom and dad will get my room so we'll stay somewhere else in the house like Meemaw and Grandpa do when they come to visit," Reba explained tenderly.

"Don't worry, Henry. I'm sure that she won't forget about you once she and Mike have a baby of their own," Kyra remarked with her usual sarcasm.

"Kyra Eleanor Hart!" Brock and Reba shouted at the same time. Reba looked at Brock questioningly. He was never the harsh parent. He left that job to her.

"What? You know it's true. Henry is not her kid. She's gonna be busy with her new family. We'll see her when she flies in once a month to visit. She'll have her hands full with a new baby, maybe two new kids and she won't have the time for any of us like she used to. She'll be a stranger that passes into our lives every once in a while," Kyra commented.

"You will not speak about your mother that way, young lady!" Brock warned sternly.

"I will always love you. I will always make time for you. We're building a house big enough for each kid to have their own bedroom. You can come and see me anytime. We'll get on that stage together and sing. Won't that be fun?" Reba responded.

"Like that will make up for not having a mother around. You've always been there when we've needed you and you're the one who holds this family together. You just can't leave us."

"I've lived for the past six years vicariously through others. It is time that I get to live my own life. Six years ago, we planned to be together and raise our children together. We were supposed to have a baby. I wanted to move you kids here and raise you here. I've put my life on hold for you. You kids are almost all grown up and I've always put you first. It's my turn to live my life for myself. All of you kids are off livin' your own lives. You have a room at the house, but you are never there. Cheyenne and Van even tried to move out. Jake is never home. Let's face it! You don't need me as much as you think. I've been a good mother and this is the thanks that I get. Excuse me!" Reba explained as she fled into the sanctuary of her bedroom. Tears were falling and she couldn't stop them.

She sat on her bed and cried, trying to muffle the sounds of her own tears so she wouldn't wake her sleeping grandbaby. Brock crept into the dark bedroom. He found her distraught on the bed. He sat down beside her. He put his hand on her back, gently rubbing it. She turned her head to look at him. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice. She wanted to make sure of who was there with her. "Don't be insulted if I confirm that Brock Hart has entered my bedroom for the second time in twenty-four hours without my consent."

"Okay, I deserve that."

"What are you doin' here?"

"I came to check on you. Honey, Kyra had no right to attack you like that. You're right. You've lived your life for everyone but yourself. It's your turn for happiness. I'm sorry about how the kids reacted."

"I should've expected it. You tried to tell me how hard it would be. They don't want their lives to change. They've come to expect this family to stay the same. It was my mistake to maintain the status quo. I should've stayed here after I lost the baby. We had plans. We were gonna have such a beautiful life together. We still can if everyone would just mind their own business. Mike and I had so many hopes for our new family. That baby was our second chance."

"I'm trying to comfort you here. That's not so easy to do when you're reminding me about how you and Mike tried to keep my child from me to play happy family. You don't even bat an eyelash about that scenario, do ya?"

"What do you want me to say, Brock? I made the right decision to divorce you. Marrying Barbra Jean was the right thing for you to do. It was my body and my child. It was my duty to do what was best for me and for my child. This is a wonderful place to raise a family. Mike is a great father."

"You keep sayin' that and it's startin' to grind my gears. Do you know what I heard earlier? I heard you tell everyone at that table that I'm a wonderful father."

"You are. You're great with them. You've been a wonderful father since the divorce."

"So only since the divorce?"

"Well yeah."

"Why do I feel like I'm the one who needs cheering up?"

"Because you're a self-absorbed mo-ron who focuses most of his time and attention on himself."

"I resent that. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been focusing most of my time and attention on my family."

"If only you'd put that much time and attention on your marriage, you'd be in great shape."

"Does it really make you feel better to insult me?"

"A little. We've got to keep it down. There's a baby sleepin' in here."

"Yeah. Cheyenne and Van did a great job with him. Did you ever notice how he looks like the other baby John? I noticed that when he was born."

"Yeah, but Cheyenne looked like him too. It's not that unusual for siblings to look alike and for families to carry on certain traits."

"Sure, if they share the same set of parents. Do you know what I've always wondered?"

"No, what?"

"What our lives had been like if you would've accepted my marriage proposal the first time."

"That was a really romantic moment. You proposed so I wouldn't leave town. My body, my baby and my decision. You just wanted to control me like you always did."

"Like it was so difficult bein' my wife."

"Not at first. At first, it was easy."

"See, now was that so hard to admit? You liked bein' married to me. We had four beautiful children together. We could've had five by now." The baby started to fuss. Reba picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "You sure do look good with a baby in your arms."

"Don't sweet-talk me, Brock. I'll admit that we had a lot of good times in our marriage, but it ended badly and now I'm just doin' what I should've done six years ago. As bad as this feels for the kids, this is what divorce is really like. It's time to really be divorced now, Brock. We've got to move on."

Brock took the baby into his arms. "It would be fun to do it all over again, to actually work together as a team to raise the kids."

"We're already doin' that."

"No, I mean get married and have some more children."

"Yeah, right. That's still upsetting the status quo."

"The kids would come around when they saw how happy we are together. I think that Kyra and Jake would love to have another brother or sister, as long as we stayed the same family in the same house."

"I already know how the story ends, Brock. My lovin' husband gets bored with me and runs into the arms of another woman. No thanks!"

"Or we could spend the rest of our lives in each other's arms just like we did last night."

"That's impossible. Things are what they are. You are with Barbra Jean raising Henry and I'm with Mike, about to have my own child with him. What's past is past."

"We'll always be tied together through Cheyenne, Kyra, Jake, Elizabeth, and little John. They are not in the past. They are in our present and our future. Henry loves you as much as our other children do. Come on, Reba. Think about it."

"So I can spend the rest of my life waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for my husband to leave me."

"It's not gonna be that way! We can be better this time."

"Call me when you come back from visiting Fantasy Island. Face reality, Brock. I love Mike Holliway. You tricked me into bein' with you. You kept me from Mike. Just because we're good in bed together doesn't mean that we should be together. Whatever feelings that are left are just some leftover lust. I'm not willing to blow the rest of my life for it."

"You know there has to be something illegal about what you did."

"What?"

"You signed papers stating that you weren't pregnant and you were. That's got to be illegal. There was fraud takin' place during our divorce proceedings that should nullify our divorce."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Brock. You can't prove anything. I didn't give birth. As far as anyone was concerned, I have an entire town of people who will swear that Mike and I were together that July. If you try to sue for fraud, then you'd have to admit in a court of law that there is a possibility that your wife was as unfaithful as you were. I can use reasonable doubt to argue that I thought that the baby was Mike's."

"You'd do that?"

"If I had to. Don't sue me. Don't drudge up something long gone. It will hurt the kids to see us fighting each other in court. You'd ruin anythin' that you have left with Barbra Jean. You'd make a mockery out of the last six years. Please leave it alone. You don't wanna be married to a woman who doesn't wanna be married to you. I love Mike Holliway, plain and simple. Like I said, call me when you get back from Fantasy Island." Reba walked over to the door and walked out of the room. She felt much better. It was strange how sparring with Brock always seemed to make her feel better."

It was wild how far Brock would go to pull her out of one of her dark moods. That conversation wasn't nearly as bad as the ones they'd had before, but she'd never heard him talk about suing her in court before. That was a new one. Nullify the divorce. Reba just shook her head. Where did he get a wild idea like that? She hoped that he wasn't serious about that one. Why ruin a good thing? Their relationship had greatly improved since the divorce and he shouldn't mess with a good thing like that.

Reba was happily on stage singing with Mike later. Her parents were there and all their kids were there. Reba had a feeling that Mike would propose. Kyra approached Brock. "Hey, Dad. How're you doin'?"

"Okay, I guess."

"So, did it work?"

"She was very upset when I saw her. She was pretty broken up about the whole thing."

"So I was pretty good, right?

"You and Jake pushed her too far. I wanted her to feel guilty about leaving you, but nearly drove her into a nervous breakdown."

"Geez, Dad. I'm sorry. How was I supposed to know that she'd go off the deep end like that?"

"You didn't. I'm the one who's sorry. I should've told you before. I know that your mom always seems so strong, but she isn't always that strong. A long time ago, she tried to kill herself. I was lucky to find her when I did or she wouldn't be here right now. Just watch what you say. Don't take things too far. She loves you kids more than anything in the world."

"Well, I've got a plan B."

"Plan B?"

"I am my mother's daughter, aren't I? My plan is to give her a taste of her own medicine. She wanted to get Grandma back together with Grandpa by doin' scandalous things with Mike so that's what I'm gonna do to her."

"You'd better explain yourself, young lady."

"Relax, I struck a deal with Nick Holliway. We're gonna pretend to date for awhile. That should get Mom and Mike fightin' in no time."

"That's actually a pretty good plan."

"Thank you. Never underestimate the power of a redhead." Kyra smiled at her father. "Relax, Dad. This plan should work but you should have somethin' else just in case."

"I will. Thanks, kiddo."

"Don't mention it. We're got to act fast because I get the feeling that someone is gonna pop the question tonight. Are you up for sabotaging another wedding?"

"Only if it won't hurt her. I'll have to let her go if that's what she wants. I don't want her to be forced to stay."

"Where's your charm? Can't you charm your way back in? Then you can prove to Mom that you're the one for her."

Just then, Kyra was interrupted by the next song that the band was playing. Mike and his band were playing Why Wait.

**What do ya say girl we do something crazy  
Quit puttin' it off, you know what I'm sayin  
Ain't like it ain't gonna happen  
Forever's a given  
It's already written  
Who we kiddin' baby, come on  
The stars can't line up any straighter  
Let's do it now and think about it later**

Why wait another minute  
For something we shoulda done yesterday  
I know a little church with a preacher  
Who could hook us up right away  
Love don't need a reason  
Baby, I don't see how I could love you anymore  
Than I do today  
So why wait

Now I love your momma, let's save her some trouble  
And your daddy won't mind if we save him a bundle  
Girl, it just so happens  
That ring that you wanted  
Well guess what, I bought it  
It's in my pocket, baby come on  
Let's get it done, let's get it on your left hand  
This is me girl poppin' the question

Why wait another minute  
For something we shoulda done yesterday  
I know a little church with a preacher  
Who could hook us up right away  
Love don't need a reason  
Baby, I don't see how I could love you anymore  
Than I do today  
So why wait

Let's do something crazy  
'Cause crazy's what you make me

The song ended and Mike stood there, waiting for a sign for Reba that he could propose without a rejection this time. "Well, Red. What did ya think?"

Reba smiled. "I want that can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stairs, over the fence, World Series kind of thing. You think about that and I'm gonna see another song," she quipped. That's when Reba, Paige, and Kim broke out into their version of 15 Minutes of Shame.

**Yeah, ****  
****This song is about you! ****  
****I'm giving you more than fair warnin' ****  
****Right now on your radio! ******

**Everybody's gonna hear ****  
****All the things that you did ****  
****That you don't want the world to know! ******

**I'm spillin' the beans, ****  
****I'm shouttin' it out! ****  
****Yeah, you're gonna be sorry now! ******

**Every single lie you told ****  
****I'm tellin! ****  
****Every promise that you broke ****  
****I'm rattin' you out! ****  
****Every girl in this world's gonna know your name! ****  
****And I hope you enjoy your ****15 Minutes Of Shame****! ******

**Yeah! ****  
****Oh-oh! ******

**Hey, ****  
****You're lookin' nervous! ****  
****Now that your double talkin' has caught back up with you! ******

**Stick to your alibi! ****  
****Don't try to deny it, ****  
****When I reveal the truth! ******

**Sure, you're pretty good, ****  
****At workin' a line. ****  
****But it's all just a matter of time! ******

**Every single lie you told ****  
****I'm tellin! ****  
****Every promise that you broke ****  
****I'm rattin' you out! ****  
****Every girl in the world's gonna know your name! ****  
****And I hope you enjoy your 15 minutes of... ******

**Shame, shame, shame on you! ****  
****Look who's lookin' like a fool! ****  
****Now! ******

**Blame, blame, blame yourself! ****  
****Won't be foolin' no one else! ****  
****Anymore... ******

**Every single lie you told ****  
****I'm tellin! ****  
****Every promise that you broke ****  
****I'm rattin' you out! ****  
****Every girl in this world's gonna know your name... Brock****  
****And I hope you enjoy your 15 minutes of shame! ******

**Yeah-yeah! ****  
****Ooh-ooh! ******

**Your 15 minutes of shame, shame, shame! ******

**Uh... huh... ******

**Your 15 minutes of sha-a-ame!**

Reba and the girls sang more songs. They sang You're No Good and You're So Vain. Kyra stood there next to Brock. "Geez, Dad. It's almost like she's singing to you. Whatd'ya do to get her so mad at you?"

"It's complicated," Brock answered, not meeting his daughter in the eye.

"Whatever you did is working. Mom is all worked up about it and she's singing to you. It's better than I thought. She's attacking you because she feels threatened. She's afraid that you'll take her nice, happy new life away. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. I just don't want any details. I already know what you did anyway. It was clear what was gonna happen last night. You were all over her and you both were pretty drunk."

"What makes you say that?"

"Please! Do you really think that we kids don't pay attention? She came by Meemaw and Grandpa's house and didn't even see us. She was overdoing the lovey dovey stuff with Mike this afternoon. She only does that when she's guilty about something. She made his favorite meal and kept reaching over to hold his hand during the meal. Those are things that she used to do when she was still married to you. She would come home from a trip feeling guilty. She'd be so loving and attentive. It's the only time that she didn't focus on us kids. The guilt is all over her face."

She sang Here for the Party, Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago, I May Hate Myself in the Morning, The Other Side of the Door, If I Could Do It All Again, and Leave the Pieces. After that, Mike took over lead vocals. He started to play a familiar song. Reba's breath hitched in her throat. He was playing the same song that he played the first time that he proposed to her, Forever by the Beach Boys. He led her to a chair on stage for her to sit down in while he sang to her. When he was finished, he got down on one knee. "I may not always know the right thing to say. I may not always do the right thing. That's why I need you. You are my compass. As long as I have you, I'm home. I don't know what the future will hold but I know that I love you and I wanna marry you. Will you marry me?"

He gave Reba the same proposal that he did when he proposed to her for the very first time when she was seventeen. That was the proposal that she turned down. She cried at his sweetness. He was trying so hard to get her to say yes. She wanted to, but she was so afraid of how much it would change her life and if it would hurt her kids. Love was a gamble and worth the leap. She decided to accept his proposal in a memorable way. "We're always arguing over control in this relationship and why should this be any different. I love you and that was a wonderful proposal, but I have something to say first. I had a surprise planned for you back in June. I didn't get to do this so I'm gonna do it now. It's a little unconventional, but we're not your average couple. So, here it goes."

Reba took off her shoes and slid them towards him. "This way you know that I'm not gonna run away this time. I'm in this for the long haul." She stood up from the chair and had Mike sit down in it, then she nervously got down on one knee.

"Honey, what are you doin'? I'm a control freak and you love me anyway. I made up my mind to do this back in June and I'm not gonna be happy until I've had my say. I love you, Michael Jonathan Holliway. Will you marry me?"

He looked into her eyes. "Honey, I've tried to propose to you 25 different ways and you always say no. Are you sure?"

She pulled another chair over towards them. She sat down in it and faced him. She took a deep breath and began to deliver her speech. She had been practicing for this moment since before they'd reunited for their anniversary. "I guarantee that we'll have tough times and I guarantee at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. 'Cause I know in my heart you're the only one for me." Reba had tears in her eyes as she waited for Mike's reaction.

He smiled at her and took her hands in his. "That was a heck of a speech, Sal."

"I've had a lot of time to practice."

He let go of her hands and stood up. Reba sat in her chair, wondering what he would say or do next. He walked over to his jukebox and another familiar song played. He came back to her and held out his hand. "Dance with me. It would make me very happy if I could dance with you for the rest of my life." He took her in his arms and they slow danced to It Never Entered My Mind.

"I'm confused. Is that a yes?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

She stood there for a moment, wondering how to respond. In typical Reba fashion, she turned to Kim with a quip. "Are you about finished with my husband?"

"He's all yours."

"Thank you." She looked at Mike. "So, you appear to be single, but not for long."

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

Reba nodded excitedly. Mike threw his arms around her and hugged her. "We're gonna be so happy. I promise you. I'll cherish you for the rest of my life and I'll always remember this moment. I'm honored to marry you and be the father of your children."

There they were in each other's arms in front of all of their family and friends. Reba announced, "We're gettin' married! The wedding's in Vegas on New Years Eve and we'll come back to have the wedding reception right here. It'll be on Saturday, January 3rd so mark your calendars 'cause it's gonna be one heck of a party."

Mike whispered in her ear. "Let's show the kids how we dance." He put I've Had the Time of My Life on the jukebox. They began their familiar dance on stage. It was the first time that they'd danced like this in public in years. Suddenly he motioned to her for the lift. They watched as Mike lifted Reba into the air over his head. Barbra Jean started clapping loudly. Cheyenne and Kyra were stunned to see their mother dance like that.

Van walked over to Brock. "Dude, you screwed up because she is smokin' hot!"

Barbra Jean rushed over to where the others were standing. "I want in. Whatever you're plannin' to break those two up. I want in."

"Barbra Jean, you'd steal a man from Mom again?" Cheyenne asked.

"I'm doin' her a favor. I stole her husband and now I'm givin' him back. And after they break up, I'll console Mike myself. So it's not stealin' Reba's man, if they break up first."

Brock laughed at the technicality that she used to justify herself this time. He did need her help. She'd gotten him this far. Brock shook her head to set the deal. It was at that moment that the family began to work to stop Reba's wedding. It was Brock's idea to be the one to marry her in Vegas himself after she broke up with Mike. He promised the kids that they'd renew their vows in another ceremony in front of the kids. In the meantime, Mike pulled Reba away from the noise and the crowd. She packed a picnic basket and they headed out with a blanket to watch the stars right back on the spot where their house would be. They shared a bottle of wine and Reba enjoyed the moment of being there in Mike's arms.

It was about three in the morning when they crept back into the apartment. Everyone was asleep. They got into their bedroom quietly without waking anyone. Reba went into the bathroom to get changed for bed. On impulse, she put on a dress shirt and tie of Mike's. She was ready to climb into bed for a little romance before going to sleep. But when she returned to bed, Mike was already asleep. He drank too much first at Holliway's and then with the wine. Reba was careful and was the designated driver that evening. She was disappointed, but excited to finally wake up in his arms in the morning...

What will Brock do next to try to convince Reba to give him another chance? What will happen between Reba and Mike? How will Reba handle sharing the house in Houston with Brock after what happened between them in McAlester? Who will Brock turn to for help in winning Reba back? How will the rest of the family help him? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter! Unfortunately, the next chapter isn't coming until we finish the story, Reba Nell Got Married. The events in that story affect the current story because it's a time travel story.

_Dear Readers-_

_This is the last chapter before we transition from Believe in Love Again into the supplemental story, Reba Nell Got Married. This is where the story stops until Reba Nell Got Married gets finished. If you have any ideas for Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, Deceived, or Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks._

_There is still a poll question on my FF profile. Should Brock keep spying on Reba? Please let me know what you think. I only got a couple of responses. If you haven't voted, please vote. It's completely anonymous. Thanks._

**Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….**

If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.

_Many readers have asked when the next chapter for Drop Dead Hero will be posted. I am working on it. __The problem for me is that I'm working a full-time job during the day and attending college classes at night. I write about one hour a day average. It takes me about nine hours each to get an update ready for Drop Dead Hero or Deceived. Believe in Love Again takes much longer than that because the updates for this story are much longer in length. I don't post an update unless I am absolutely sure that I'm happy with the writing. I'm working on an update for Drop Dead Hero so that will be the next update to post. I'd just thought that I'd let you know about that one. I will post another update for Drop Dead Hero, then I will post an update for Reba Nell Got Married, and then I will post an update for Deceived. So that's the order for the upcoming story updates for now._

_Shout out to Chatte578: Thanks for your feedback! I hope that you liked the Breba moments in this chapter. Don't worry there will be more Breba moments ahead. Reba got her hands full now. Brock is doing incredibly underhanded things to get her back. Unfortunately for him, that will backfire on him right now. Reba will need time to cool off. She'll get that cooling off time when she travels back in time to 1983 when she's not with Mike and Brock's not with Barbra Jean. That's when things will really get interesting._

_Shout out to __RebaJunkie__: Thanks for taking the time to review. I'm glad that Believe in Love Again is your favorite story. Of all the stories that I'm writing, it's my favorite, too. I love your predictions. They're great. I really appreciate that you took the time to go back and re-read those other sections. It looks like the suggestion really did help you follow the current storyline events better. Your predictions are almost right on target. Brock will always love Reba. He has never hated her. He is just a man who is willing to do anything to be with her, even though he's made mistakes. You're right. He is trying to be a new Brock, but he still has a long way to go. So, unfortunately there will still be moments when the old Brock resurfaces. If you haven't already noticed, Reba does like the new Brock better. _

_You won't be able to find out the identity of LovinCowboy84 in this story. Reba will need his brand of anonymous friendly advice in the next story. I'm so glad that you like the Mike and Reba pairing. Not many people do. I'm wondering if there are other readers who like the Mike and Reba pairing, too. I'd be interested in finding out. Thanks for being such a devoted reader. It really gives me the inspiration and determination to keep this story going. I agree that Reba should be able to live her life her way. That's why whomever she ends up with has to be able to provide that for her and want that type of life together. Any issues that may have seemed glossed over too quickly are only resolved temporarily. They will pop up again. This story will not end until readers get to the moment where Reba wakes up after a drunken night in Vegas and finds out who she's married to. I will not let readers down. I'm so glad that you like my writing._

_Shout out to Emily-Jewell: I love your new story, Remember When. I'm dying to find out what happens next. I really hope that you continue that story! I hope that Brock makes the effort to try to win Reba back in Oklahoma. _

_Shout out to RMandMSFan__: Thanks for your review! I'm so glad that you love my story. That's always good for a writer to hear. I knew that the Breba fans would love reading the scene where Reba realizes that she spent the night with Brock. I promise to always keep this story interesting. Please continue onto Reba Nell Got Married. Reba and Brock have traveled back in time to 1983. They're both single. Reba hasn't started dating Mike yet and Brock doesn't even know Barbra Jean back then. I really hope that you like that story._

_Shout out to __merylandrebafan: Thank you for your encouragement! I love your chapter updates of Afraid to Sleep. The Van-Reba pairing is growing on me. I really appreciate your feedback on my stories. I hope that I encourage your writing as much as you've encouraged mine. Thanks!_

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

**Teambrarllover**  
**Blaze Of Destruction**  
**jennyleigh3reba**  
**rnmrox**  
**leesy96**  
**FakeCubicZirconium**  
**KayMcEntire**  
**ScarlettLovesRhett**  
**iNxC0NCERTx2010**  
**rebafan4ever**  
**Reba the country queen**  
**Janie Dear**  
**RebaFan4Forever**  
**TheRebaFan1**  
**MaileS**  
**Chatte578**  
**Merylandrebafan**  
**crazy4reba**  
**Karrryyeeeennnnnn**  
**Deedoo**

**Pjcp**

**Oh. belledejour**

**Dr. Michaela Quinn**

**RamblingRedRoseRebaFan**

**WJC1985**

**RMandMSFan**

**kaity120boom**

**nellieforbush**

**LittleMissCheerios**

**RebaJunkie**

**JericaMMADfan**

**TouchedbyanAngelFan****  
****Anonymous reviewers**

_I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!_

_Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week._

**Remember read and review, please!**

**Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.**

**http:/www. fanfiction .net/~rebabrockfan**

**Reba-Brockfan— on FF**

**http:/ www. extremereba. com / forum / ?f=22**

**Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba**

Disclaimer: The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired.

I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.


	43. Note to readers

I wanted to let readers know that I am participating in a national writers challenge for the month of November. I forgot to let you know when I posted the previous chapter. I'm sorry if this post is a letdown because it's not a new chapter. If you like my writing, please help support me during the challenge as I write and post original work to my FictionPress site (writersdream72) at: www . fictionpress dot com/~writersdream72. I have four active stories there that I am writing in the hopes of completing them for publication. Here are my stories:

Meeting You

Carly Anderson's world gets turned upside down when handsome Nick Campbell moves in next door and their daughters scheme to bring them together. Will Carly be able to resist falling for Nick?

**Yes, this is the same story that I posted here on FF. It is an original story that I'm working on publishing.**

Come Back to Me

One woman goes back to her hometown to relight an old flame. For Lexi McKenna, life is complicated when she is stuck choosing between the two men in her life. What happens when her ex-husband gets in the way of her new romance?

**This story is a rewritten and reformatted original story based on Believe in Love Again. If you like Believe in Love Again, you might like this story, too.**

Dreamscape

A woman helps her ex-husband through a crisis only to wake up and find that she's fifteen years in the past. For Julianna Hart, it's hard to tell what's real and what's not as she maneuvers between life in 1997 and life in 2012. Find out what happens when dreams and reality collide.

**This is an original paranormal romance that I am working on.**

Welcome to Cambridge House: Katie's story: Book 1

A young woman gets a second chance at life with the help of some friends who will become her family. Where will Katie's journey take her? Who will win her heart along the way? A tale of friendship, drama, and romance

**This is an original teen story mixed with romance that is partially based on true events.**

You're probably wondering what this means for my fanfics, Deceived and Enchantment. It means that I might post one short update every week or two during November because I am spending so much time working on the original stories. Come Back to Me is halfway complete and I want to finish it to get it ready to publish on Amazon.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement so far.

Laurie


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